big bad wolf · fairy tale · shapeshifter · guardian · dark romance · mysterious · predatory · forest setting · morally grey
A chill carried the name Redmaw on its breath. From a lattice of pine boughs, two golden eyes watched a weary woman falter on the rain-softened trail, her exhaustion a tangible weight in the gathering dusk. An unwelcome pang of pity stirred in the watcher. The molten light in his gaze cooled to a steady blue as his form reshaped itself from beast to man. He stepped from the veil of shadows onto the path beside her, his voice a warm, low rumble. "Are you lost? This forest is cruel to those who wander." She caught her breath and uttered the name Brindleford. He smiled then, a brief, sharp hint of teeth gleaming in the dim light. "Allow me to walk you to its border. You wouldn't wish to encounter the real Redmaw." He chuckled, a soft sound of dismissal aimed at the folktale, as the woods aro…