Red Roses - (FCRAs 2016 Winner)

The May Wolves

Nana May had always been a early riser, no sense in wasting the day snoozing when there was bound to be a wolf downstairs either snoozing on the sofa or thieving from the pantry. Better to wake first and meet him at the door.

That morning however, when she opened the front door, rather then seeing her wolf trotting up the garden path, she instead almost tripped over her granddaughter who sat curled up on the doorstep, wrapped up in her red cape, staring blankly out into the forests that were just waking up to the dawn.

Rather then questioning her straight away, she pulled her inside, sitting her in the kitchen and preparing breakfast, letting her granddaughter find her feet again from whatever had given her a shock the night before.

Though she had some idea.

She remained quiet, until Lorelie started to speak.

"So," Nana May finally said, sitting down with a fresh pot of tea, "You know about the May Witches."

"Does Mum know?" Lorelie asked, absently stirring her tea.

"She knows. Your brother, on the other hand, does not," Nana May said, debating on which biscuit to choose from the plate between them.

"Why didn't we know?"

"Well, magic is fading out of this family. Neither your mother nor your uncle possess magic. You, your brother, even your cousins," Nana May said, "two generations in a row with no sign of power?" She sat back, looking past Lorelie's head towards the window. "Unfortunately it doesn't bode well for our long standing heritage."

"Why is it fading?" Lorelie asked, still not looking up from her tea.

"Oh, there are lots of possible reasons. It's a shame, really, we were very powerful, once upon a time."

"Powerful enough to turn two dozen men into wolves?"

Nana May glanced at her. "Powerful enough to do that," she confirmed.

Lorelie glanced at her, then looked down again. "A little girl was killed last night."

Nana May let out of small breath. "I know," she said gently.

Lorelie looked up.

"Her name was Cassie Smith, she lived two villages over, nice little girl. Such a dreadful death."

"Nana," Lorelie muttered, "... The wolves..."

"Well," Nana May said, picking up her tea, "Remember what I said, choose your pack wisely."

"I wanted to believe Roth when he said those... attacks weren't anything to do with him. I thought they protected people. Wasn't that the point of the curse?"

"No, it wasn't. Those wolves protect the May Witches and family. They protect these forests. Anyone else... well that is their choice."

"So you think Roth killed that girl, and all the others? Even Rosy?"

Nana May's jaw instantly tightened and she looked away, clearing her throat.

"It doesn't make sense," Lorelie said, shaking her head, "It... it can't be Roth. Rosy is... was a May. It would have broken the terms of the curse. Unless the terms don't matter because he's not part of Grey's pack anymore?"

She pressed her face to her hands, setting her elbows on the table, letting out a distressed, irritated breath.

"Roth was there... the girl said 'the wolf, kill the wolf,' but he shouldn't have harmed a May. And what are the chances that there are two killers operating at the same time? Someone happens to kill Rosy at the same time the wolves go on a sudden killing spree of other girls?"