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  Her hands began searching me, poking and prodding me and blistering me with bruises as she felt for the stone. I bit at her hands and she yelped with pain.

  “I do not have the stone, Giant,” I cried.

  “It's on you,” the Giantess sniffed the air. “I can smell it on you. I can smell the power. All of the power located in that little itsy bitsy stone – how sweet it smells! How utterly delicious! I've been longing for it for a long time, my dear Wolf. Maybe even centuries. I long for it – I hunger for it! Just as I am hungering for you now. How delicious it is – my desire! How much I need it! I want it! I must have it!”

  As she spoke, she lifted me up, planning no doubt to turn me upside down and shake out the stone that way, as if she were shaking nuts from a tree. But by lifting me so high up, I noted swiftly, my animal instincts kicking in once again, she provided me with an excellent opportunity. Her ear, flapping and bleeding, was so terribly close...

  Before she could shake me, I leaped forward and grabbed the ear with my teeth, placing all my weight upon it as I pulled swiftly. This time I found my target; the ear came clean off and fluttered to the ground like an enormous postulant petal.

  The Giantess howled in pain and clutched at the side of her head, from which geysers of blood were now gushing forth and sprinkling the ground. But I didn't have time to pay attention to her cries, or to see what would happen next. I was running, as fast as I could, bounding towards my brethren, towards my kin, trying once more to sense their presence through the telepathic link that connected all Wolf Fey to one another.

  And then I heard it. The sound of violent impact thundering behind me.

  The Giantess was still in hot pursuit.

  Chapter 2

  The trees were emerald, but I did not see them. Not even their impossible beauty could stop me, could dissuade me. I was running, my throat tight, my heart pounding, energy and adrenaline flowing through my body like warm strength, the pain in my muscles aching more and more with every single moment. I had to run; I’d never felt like this before. Somewhere, in the back of my mind, I knew that I was dreaming – after all, I had no memory of getting here, of getting into the flames to begin with. I remembered falling asleep in my warm bed at the castle. I remembered hoping that I wouldn’t dream of Breena.

  And tonight was the first night in a while that I did not dream of Breena. But this Giantess, who had somehow summoned me forth in her dreams, was more terrifying still than the memory of Breena’s rosebud mouth and soft, blushing skin. Was I still in a dream – or was this reality? When I ran I felt disconnected from my own body, as if I were running in a nightmare, the ground vanishing from under me. What would happen if I just gave up – if I just let go? Would I return to my slumber, find myself awake in my bed safe and sound? Somehow I doubted it. If this Giantess could call my innermost self forth to her as I slept, I didn’t put it past her to reach me in my physical form as well.

  “You can run,” thundered the Giantess, “but not for long! I will find you! I will crush you beneath my feet! Fear me, mere Wolf, and run howling back to me with your tail between your legs before I whip you like the whelp you are!”

  But something within me kept me going, pulling me forth, as if I had been caught in a net. The sense that my kind were close at hand. I tensed up my muscles and sniffed the air, a familiar scent filling my nostrils. The sign that someone I knew, somebody that I trusted, was nearby.

  “Owwwww!” The howl echoed across the skies, filling me with new hope. It was a sound I recognized. I would know Josephine’s slightly edgy, spirited cries anywhere. My heart swelled with pride and relief. Josephine – strong and powerful, with muscles that would send even the strongest Wolf heading back to his cave in fear – was close by me.

  I stopped. This had to be a dream or some kind of alternative reality. Josephine had died during our battle to restore the Twin Suns or had she? I myself barely survived to find out, but from what I heard, Josephine was killed, gone.

  I raised up my head and howled back to her. Even now, in the height of fear, the sound of my own howl filled me with strange joy. There was nothing like being a Wolf. When I was a mortal, I sometimes felt that something was missing, some part of my life was incomplete. But when I walked on four legs, howling at the moon and at my kindred brethren, I felt that I was entirely, completely myself. I was the person I was supposed to be. Adrenaline coursed through me; even in my fear I was overwhelmed by joy. I had never felt more alive.

  “Brother Logan,” Josephine came bounding up to me. I recognized her even in her wolfish form. Her tawny pelt, the color of caramel and cream swirling together on her soft fur, was striking – lovely as well as intimidating. Her eyes were piercing blue – in wolf form as well as human form – a look that gave her a slightly unearthly air. She was very much alive, as I was. Perhaps brought back by magic…as I was. The magic of the fey was still a mystery to me, but that did not mean it did not exist, as did faith.

  She clambered up to me, out of breath and exclaimed, “Logan, Cousin! Good to see you are well and alive. What is it?”

  “Giant…”

  I knew that the Giantess could not understand our wolfish tongue; this would at least buy us some time.

  “Giant?” Even as a wolf, Josephine’s cocked head and perplexed expression gave her an air of utter confusion.

  The thundering of the Giantess’ feet in the distance, her spreading shadow expanding like a storm cloud before us, answered that question.

  “Giant,” I repeated.

  “Quick, to the caves!” Josephine ran and I followed her into a small dugout in the Cliffside, a narrow expanse that the Giantess would hardly be able to see, let alone cross. Our ears pounding, we squeezed through the gap and I followed Josephine down into the subterranean chambers I recognized as her lair.

  “Quiet!” Josephine hissed, baring her sharp teeth.

  We stood stone-still, crouching down with our muzzles between our paws, as we heard the footsteps of the Giantess.

  “Come out come out wherever you are!” she called, and we caught sight of her enormous feet blocking the glimmer of light that came through in a single beam from the opening to the cave.

  We breathed a sigh of relief as she passed us by.

  “What was that?” Josephine looked at me accusingly. “What have you gotten yourself into, Logan?”

  “I…” I spluttered for a moment. “I honestly have no idea.”

  “What do you mean you have no idea? Where did you find her?”

  “That’s the thing,” I said, trying to explain. “I don’t know. I don’t remember.”

  “You don’t remember?” Josephine looked worried for a second. “Oh, for Lupus’ sake, Logan, you haven’t been…I mean, I know you’re upset and all – but you can’t start drinking. You know what it did to Uncle Romulus.”

  “Uncle Romulus…” I caught her meaning. “Drinking – no, Josephine, it isn’t like that.”

  “Good,” she said savagely. “Because broken heart or not, it’s no excuse to shirk your duties.”

  Good old Josephine, I thought bitterly. At least she hadn’t changed. Josephine made it a point of pride that she’d never nursed a broken heart; she’d never been interested in dating or mating at all, on two legs or on four. She considered love to be a distraction – she subscribed in that sense to the old Fairy Ways, which most of our kind did not – and looked down on it (and, I knew, by extension, me) for falling victim to such animal stupidity. Animals, Josephine liked to say, bred. But as Wolf Fey, we were better than that. We had to prove that we could rise above our physical instincts – otherwise what separated us from the silent wolves that had no power of metamorphosis?

  “It’s not that at all,” I said, speaking up again. “I mean – the last thing I remember was falling asleep – and then I woke up….here. Miles away!”

  “Sleepwalking?” Josephine looked at me sharply.

  “I think the Giantess…summoned me,” I said. “I know i
t sounds stupid, but she mentioned something about seeing into my dreams. I think she managed to pluck me from wherever I was sleeping and control my dream, sending me here.”

  “Well you look perfectly real to me,” Josephine said. After a pause she spoke again. “It might sound stupid,” she said, “but plenty of stupid-sounding things happen in Feyland. I’ve stopped feeling surprised by anything here. Nothing fazes me anymore. This land is magic. Feyland contained magic, was built upon it. All the fey draw their source of magic from it in many different ways. And if this Giantess has the power to see into dreams…” She stopped. “What does she want with your dreams, anyway?”

  “I don’t know,” I said quickly. As much as I cared for Josephine, and certainly trusted her, I wanted to keep the circle of people who knew about me and the Wolfstone to one person only. Me.

  “Listen,” said Josephine. “I think I know what to do. We’ll have to ambush her. There’s lots of wolves who live in these parts – they listen to me. They’ll do what I tell them. No point in just hiding out here – she’s bound to figure out where we are sooner or later and I don’t want her going around smashing my caves. If we all set upon her at once,…” She sighed. “We’ll lose some men. But that’s always the way of it, isn’t it?”

  I looked into her eyes, surprised at how she could lead men and women so coldly into battle. But Josephine considered herself a true warrior – a brave and strong warrior – and that meant no succumbing to personal feelings or fears.

  “I wish I had your force of purpose,” I said.

  She smiled half-heartedly. “Yeah, I wish you did too,” she said, before emitting a howl.

  I recognized that sound. Josephine’s call to battle – a call full of nobility and bravery, a call that clearly signaled to all the wolves in the vicinity that Your leader calls you. You may risk everything. But you will risk it all the same – because you trust me. I marveled at her strength, her conviction, even as inwardly pain gnawed at my heart. Josephine, I knew, was a true leader, brave and strong, willing to risk everything if it meant serving the good of the Wolf Fey. She was the leader I wanted to be. But as long as my heart lay with Breena, I knew, my loyalties would be divided between my own people and the Fairy Kingdom that Breena called home. I knew that some of my kind would call me a Wolf Traitor because I refused to put her out of my heart, because I was willing to ally myself with the kingdoms of Winter and Summer. But how could I turn my back on my Breena? She was my angel; I was her knight. Even now, in the depths of this dream, I ached for her; I missed her. My whole body cried out for her.

  “Let’s go,” said Josephine, shaking her long mane as she began to race out of the cave and towards the glen where we still could glimpse the shadowy outline of the Giantess. I followed her as fast as I could, my muscles twisting and aching with the effort of matching her speed. Behind us followed Josephine’s whole pack, howling as they went along, their fur tawny and shining bright as they nipped at the Giantess’ heels, biting into her flesh, covering her whole body with their bites.

  “Ahh!” She flailed and shook off two wolves that had bitten into the soft part webbing between her fingers, causing them to sail through the air and crash in a sickening heap in the corner before a tree. I stopped myself from howling with pain at the sight of two wolves, so easily killed – their lives extinguished in a single moment. But Josephine was undeterred. She darted forth, avoiding the foot that came crashing down, crushing another few wolves, and bit the back of the Giantess’ ankle.

  She tumbled forth like a tree, howling with pain as she crashed to the earth, causing the ground to shake and shiver with her weight. It was like an earthquake, reverberating through the trees. The crash sent echoes across the terrain.

  All at once the wolves leaped onto the Giantess’ back, pinning her down with their claws, biting at her until at last she was subdued.

  I howled at her, my voice growling with rage for all the Wolves whose lives had been lost already.

  “Okay, madam,” I said, trying to keep back my anger. “I’ve got a few questions for you. And it’s time you started answering.”

  Chapter 3

  The Giantess was still thrashing with all her might as I approached her, my teeth bared, my mouth salivating for revenge for all the lives of the Wolves she had taken. I had to be careful here. I wanted to question her about the Wolfstone, about how she knew where it was, and that I had it, but I couldn’t say too much. I didn’t know whom among Josephine’s pack I could trust. The secret of the Wolfstone and of its location, I knew, had to be kept a secret by the Red Wolf. And essentially, it seemed that that very Red Wolf was I. I darted aside, avoiding the Giantess’ thrashing limbs, which though largely subdued still packed quite a considerable force, and leaned into her single remaining ear, sticking my muzzle where only she could hear me.

  “What do you know about the stone?” I whispered. “Keep careful Lady, whom you tell, and what you say, or else your remaining ear will be forfeit as a prize for what I have won.”

  The Giantess groaned. Her voice was whiny now, almost babyish. “There are three who can unlock the stone,” she said at last, looking at me with flashing dark eyes.

  “Three what?” I was in no mood for guessing games or riddles. I wanted answers – and fast. Whatever the Giantess knew it – and however she knew it – these things might make the difference between life and death for my kind and me.

  But the Giantess seemed to have no interest in answering my questions. She bellowed loudly, rolling around on the earth, as her stomach rumbled – a rumble so loud that it seemed at first to be the rumble of thunder in the distance. “Let me go!” she cried. “I must eat. I must eat.”

  “I know you’re hungry,” I snarled at her. “Deprived of a good meal, weren’t you? Stomach’s growling for all those wolves you wanted to consume.”

  “I must eat!” The Giantess cried aloud. “I must! I must! Or…”

  “Very well,” I rolled my eyes. “My wolves will provide a snack for you – something to tide you over. But only if you cooperate. What three are those of whom you speak? Who are the three?”

  The Giantess let out a wailing, writhing scream that shook the very ground beneath her. “My stomach!” she cried. I looked over at her. This hunger did not seem to be merely a matter of a rumbling stomach. The Giantess was shrieking in agony, rolling about, thrashing as her stomach sounded again and again like the blaring of a trumpet.

  Josephine and I looked over at each other, shocked. It was as though this woman came out of a twisted fairy tale, but one based on fey lore. Was this the product of the my imagination or was the Wolfstone drawing on magic and tales from all over, summoning anything to it that had the powers to unlock its magic? Could this Giantess be one of its keys? Whatever was ailing her, this was certainly not normal hunger. And whoever this Giantess was, I got the feeling that her ways were still a mystery to me, and I’d better not risk any magic that seemed to be filling her with such insatiable madness – not when I still had a shot at getting answers out of her.

  Josephine gave the signal to her wolves, and a pack of them headed off into the woods – I assumed to find some kind of prey that would be acceptable to her. But the Giantess showed no signs of being willing to wait.

  “The three….” She gasped. “They are women – all.” Her eyes began to widen and sparkle with new light. “Hurry,” she gasped out between breaths. “I need food – or else…” She lashed out with her hands, freeing a single arm. Before any of the wolves could stop her she grabbed one by the tail and dropped it straight into her mouth. Josephine rushed forth with a howl but she was too late. The wolf had been gobbled up in an instant.

  Out flashed the Giantess’ hand again and two more wolves – not fast enough – were dropped straight into her waiting maw. The wolves were no longer able to hold her down; they scrambled under her weight, tearing at her skin and causing her to scream.

  Josephine darted forward, her fangs sinking deep into the Gian
tess’ flesh. “Logan, forget the questioning! She must be taken down before she consume all of our wolves!”

  “I’m hungry” wailed the Giantess, picking Josephine up, wincing at the pain of her punctured hand. She seized Josephine and began to dangle her over her lips.

  “No!” I cried, jumping straight onto the Giantess’ face and biting into her lips. Her jaw slacked with pain as blood sprayed all over my fur; three more wolves bounded up alongside me to immobilize the Giantess once more. This time we were shaking with fury. This sickening being had already killed too many of our kind, and I was close to authorizing that we end her life immediately, without these questions that were only buying this despicable specimen more time to hurt more of us. But at a look from Josephine, who had wrestled herself free of the Giantess’ grip, I fell back. Josephine was in command of this particular operation; Josephine was willing to take the risk.

  At last we subdued the Giantess once more, and she groaned with pain as Josephine nipped her in the neck, drawing geysers of blood.

  But the Giantess was not to be deterred. She lumbered up to her feet, throwing the wolves back against the earth. Josephine too was thrown back against the trees, and I cried out in surprise as Josephine yelped with pain.

  “I will get one of you!” The Giantess’ voice thundered. She reached out, her hands wrapping around two more wolves, who yelped with pain as she lifted them up .She licked her lips.

  “Now,” she said. “Which one of you should I eat first?”

  But before the Giantess could make such a decision, her stomach rumbled once more, a rumbling so loud that we all lowered our heads and covered our ears.

  “Oh…” The Giantess looked confused, looking down at her torso with a perplexed look on her face. “Oh dear.” Her stomach had begun to quiver violently. She began to shake, the rolls of flesh on her quivering up and down as they shook like leaves in a thunderstorm, her whole body flashing and rolling as she seemed to be violently shaken by some unseen force.