The Rider of Rosewood

The four werewolves inched closer. Rosalind gripped Theo's shoulder.

"Run!" He whispered so softly only she could hear.

She didn't hesitate. She sprinted through the forest and didn't look back even for a moment. Her sore joints throbbed, but she did not stop until she was completely out of breath.

She hid behind a gnarled, towering, oak tree, trying to catch her breath. The twisted branches looked like they were going to reach out and grab unsuspecting travelers. But the tree wasn't the most frightening thing in the forest tonight. The distant sound of howling echoed through the vast woodlands. Rosalind nearly screamed when something tugged on her hood. She clenched her fists ,ready to fight off whatever it was.

"Calm down. It's just me." Theo raised his hands in surrender. Defined scratch marks marred his skin and his clothes dripped with blood.

She wiped off some of the blood on his face with her sleeve. "Are you okay?"

He forced a smile. "I'll live."

"Can you run?"

He rubbed his aching knees. "I think so, but we must be careful. There are hunting traps all over this part of the woods."

"That's it!" she said.

Theo raised an eyebrow. "What's it?"

"Maybe, we can lure them into the traps!"

"Please tell me you're joking," he said, surprised by her idea.

"It's a genius plan."

"It's suicide." He buried his face in his hands. "I never should've brought you here."

She brushed his bangs out of his eyes. "It's too late to second-guess our decisions. What matters now is that we're here, and we are going to finish what we started." She reached out her hand, and he firmly shook it.

"Let's do it," he conceded.

The pair climbed up into the tree. Theo scoped out their surroundings, but his eyes appeared to be straining.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. My night vision is a bit off, tonight." He pointed to a tree several yards away. "Do you see the tree over there?"

She nodded.

"There's a trap underneath it," he pointed to two more trees, "and under those two as well."

"Aren't there four of them?" She gestured toward the part of the woods where the werewolves had been.

"I suppose we'll have to improvise. Don't worry, you're quite clever. Between the two of us, I'm sure we'll figure something out.

Rosalind sighed. "There's no way we can take them all at once our best shot is to try to split them up."

Theo shook his head. "I won't be able to outrun them, at least not in my human form."

"Is there any chance you could shift into your wolf form?"

He stared down at his hands. "I can't control my transformations. Maybe my father could've taught me, but–" He couldn't finish his sentence.

She gave him a reassuring look. "There has to be a way to stop them.”

The subtle sound of leaves crunching caused them to startle. Rosalind glanced down to see the four wolves circling the tree.

One of them sniffed loudly. "The trail ends here."

Rosalind held her breath. She was afraid even the smallest sound could alert them to their position.

"How is this the end of the trail?" one of the others barked.

"I'm telling you this is where I lose their scent!"

"Ha! Looks like Duke isn't as good as he thinks he is," another wolf teased.

"My senses are more acute than yours will ever be!" They snarled at each other, prepared to fight.

"Hey! Knock it off, you two!" said a wolf with gray fur who seemed much less spry than the other three. "We have a mission to complete, and here you are wasting time bickering. Do you think this is how a huntsman is supposed to behave?"

"No, sir."

"I'm glad we're on the same page. They couldn't have gotten far. Spread out and hunt down the Mixedblood, but keep the girl alive."

"Yes, Pack Father, Gregorio," they said in unison. They dispersed into different directions.

As soon as Rosalind thought they were safe, she was startled by a loud snap. The branch was beginning to collapse under their weight.

"You can't hide from me forever, Mixedblood," one of the werewolves called out.

Theo grabbed onto a different branch and effortlessly pulled himself up onto it. He signaled for Rosalind to do the same. As she latched onto a nearby limb, the branch beneath her snapped, leaving Rosalind dangling in the air. She tried her hardest to pull herself up but she lost her grip and she fell to the ground with a thud.

"This will be easier for both of us if you give up now." A wolf lurked in the shadows.

She dug through a nearby pile of debris. She grabbed the pointiest stick she could find and prepared to defend herself. "Back off!"

The wolf ignored her warning and crept closer and closer. He paused for a moment. "Hey, I know you!" He gazed down at his bandaged paw. "You're the little witch who shot me in the hand with an arrow!"

Rosalind pointed the stick at his eye. "Your boss said you aren't allowed to hurt me."

He laughed. "No, he said I'm not allowed to kill you."

The moonlight reflected off a metal hunting trap. It was close, if she ran she could make it. Theo crept down from the tree. He gave her a firm nod, then followed the tracks of the other wolves into the forest.

"What are you looking at?" He turned his head in Theo's direction. Without thinking, Rosalind whacked him in the face with the stick before he saw him.

"Hey!" he shouted. She ran towards the trap while he was distracted. He chased after her. "I'm not done with you yet!"

His injured paw gave her a considerable advantage, but she wouldn't slow down until she was past the trap. She was only a few steps away. Claws dug into her back and ripped her sweatshirt. He pounced on top of her, pinning her to the ground.

"You're faster than you look." He gasped for air. He froze for a minute, then sniffed her sweatshirt. "How did you-"

Rosalind kneed him in the stomach before he could finish that sentence. She wasn't in the mood to chat. She escaped from his grasp while he doubled over in pain. He bared his teeth and snarled. Wrath flashed through his hazel eyes.

She would be lying if she said she wasn't intimidated by him, but she had to put on a brave face, for herself and Theo. She was careful to step over the trap as she passed through. Now all that needed to happen was for the wolf to tread on the trap.

He charged after her. If her plan didn't work, there was nothing she could do to stop him. He snapped his mouth shut around the back of her shirt, biting a hole into it. He attempted to bite her again. The metal trap clamped shut around his paw. He tried desperately to break free. His attempts were fruitless. "Let me out of here, now!" he yelled, pulling violently, trying to break free. In doing so he only made it tighter.

"Not until you tell me where the cure is."

"I am a high-ranking member of The Silver Huntsmen and the future leader of this pack!" He scoffed. "Do you think you can keep me caged here like a dog?"

She pointed to his trapped paw. "It sure looks like it."

"The pack mother will be furious when she hears about this. She'll hunt you down."

"I look forward to meeting with her." She leaned up against a tree and picked at her nails. "I'm willing to wait as long as it takes for you to talk."

He spent several minutes cursing and making empty threats, but she wasn't listening. She was worried about Theo. The forest had been eerily silent apart from Chandler's swearing.

Leaves rustled in the woods behind them. Rosalind spun around to see what she was up against. It was the gray wolf from earlier. She pointed the stick at him. "Stay back," she ordered.

"Pack Father!" Chandler stammered. "I can explain!" He tried so hard to break free from the trap, he tore his flesh.

The pack father stayed completely still until he couldn't watch anymore. He shifted to his human form and raised his hands in surrender. He looked at her with pleading eyes. "Please, release him. I'll give you what you want."

"Theo and I would like a private meeting with Pack Mother Luna." She refused to lower the stick.

He sighed. "Very well, I'll see what I can arrange."

"You're going to give in without a fight?" Chandler protested.

The man gazed down at Chandler's wound. "The health and safety of my pack is my top priority."

"It doesn't even hurt," Chandler said, but his facial expression said otherwise.

"Silence." The older gentleman’s tone was so firm and intimidating Chandler didn't dare argue.

The sound of three different voices approached them. "I can't believe we got our asses kicked by a Mixedblood," Heath whined.

"You made it too easy," Theo quipped.

"Can we stop talking and get this over with?" Duke grumbled.

The three men stepped out of the woods. Duke and Heath had already reverted to their human forms. The sun peeked out from behind the ridge. The morning had arrived, it was clear everyone was exhausted.

Heath's eyes widened when he saw them. "Woah, Chandler, I can't believe you let a ten-year-old girl beat you up!"

"I'm seventeen," Rosalind said, but she didn't think anyone heard.

Chandler clenched his teeth. "Can you please, for once in your life, shut up, Heath?" He spat. "I can't believe you all gave up at the first sign of danger. You're all pathetic cowards!"

"Well, look where your bravery got you," Duke said before he released Chandler from his trap.

Rosalind turned to Theo to see his reaction to the situation, but he was focused on Pack Father Gregorio. Theo's fists clenched. He bared his teeth, exposing the fangs he usually kept hidden. His entire face flushed bright red with rage.

"Theo, what's wrong?" She asked.

Theo pointed a shaky finger at the man. "This is the man who killed my father."