Break laughed the entire time Gilbert begrudgingly dressed my head wounds.

It wasn't that funny.

"Goodness gracious, Red Riding Hood!" Break laughed, wiping a tear from his eye. "I can't believe you'd be so utterly clumsy! If only I'd been there to see it!"

My face was burning like it never had before as I hung my head and fiddled with my skirt. My stupid, torn, too-long skirt!

"Xerx, quit teasing her," Sharon scolded graciously, kneeling next to me and holding onto my hand.

It didn't help my situation any.

"I cannot help it, Milady. The way Gilbert relayed the story! Tell her, Gilbert; it was too good!"

I could feel the intensity of Gilbert's glare - even though he stood behind me - in the silence that followed.

"I, for one, don't find it particularly funny that this child can't control her chain, Break. You need to keep a closer eye on her if she's not going to take this seriously. And that doesn't mean forcing me to be in charge of her, either!"

"Oh, please, Gilbert, don't pin this on us," Break sighed. "No one knew it was going to break her control over it."

"Two words," Gilbert snapped, cutting the end of the final bandage and tying it off. "Connor. Faire."

With that, he stormed out of the room. And I was shaking again.

"I'm so sorry," I blubbered. "I'm so, so sorry..."

Sharon stood and wrapped her arms around me.

"The important thing you need to remember, Helen," she soothed, "is that we stopped it."

"It...killed...two people," I choked haltingly.

"But it didn't kill more," she offered.

I shook my head and buried it in her shoulder, hugging her tightly as if to keep myself grounded. Somewhere around that point was when I could hear Break leaving the room, and knowing he'd even seen that much made me cry harder. I was a mess.

"Helen, it's alright. Don't listen to Gilbert, okay? He has a lot on his mind right now. He's not mad at you. I don't even think he's angry with Break."

I clenched my hands into fists.

"H-he's right, though," I sobbed. "I can't control the Wolf. I can't handle it's powers...I-I can't even stand upright half the time!"

"Oh, Helen," Sharon cooed, stroking my hair. "Don't get upset over that tripping thing. We all fall down sometimes. The important thing is you got right back up, even though you hit your head so hard."

After that, I couldn't even seem to form words anymore. All I could do was cry and cry and cry. But, it didn't seem to matter so much. Not to Sharon, anyway. She just kept holding me until I calmed down. It was a gesture of good friendship on her part. A sign that we were still just as close as we had been as children. She didn't have any idea how important the gesture was to me. For once, I felt comfortable. I felt at home. And, thanks to her, Gilbert's harsh words finally faded away.

Being able to cry did, indeed, make me feel a bit better. But, the price for emotional well-being seemed to be a splitting headache, so it was difficult to keep an eye on my chores. The bandaged headwound didn't help any, either, and it didn't take long at all for someone to bring this to my attention.

"Goodness gracious, Helen," Break remarked, taking from me the towel I'd been attempting to fold. "Not your best work. Did Gilbert put those bandages on too tight?"

I shook my head...and instantly regretted the movement.

"Just a little headache. That's all."

The man tsked at me.

"Just a little headache, and you start wadding up the laundry and thinking it's all good and folded."

He shook his head, his smile reminding me that he was only teasing.

"Perhaps you should lie down?"

"Oh, no, Break; I have so much work to do - !"

"I'm sure Milady will understand. In fact..."

Break paused a moment - clearly for dramatic effect - before turning to me again.

"...Why don't you go ask her?"

My face felt like the inside of a volcano. Break knew too much. And he was perfectly shameless in showing it off, to boot. I stared down at the floor in shame, and he laughed a little.

"Oh, Red Riding Hood, you know I'm teasing you."

I flinched at the name, the events from earlier still bothering me. But, I nodded.

"Alright, Break. I...I'll talk to her."

"Very well. I'll take over the laundry for you. Try to get some rest."

I nodded to him once more, and I was on my way.

I had paused outside of Sharon's door for all of five seconds before walking straight past it without so much as a knock. I wasn't going to cry to her forever! I kept walking down the hall until the front door was in my sights. Then, I broke out into a run. I didn't stop until my feet were planted on the dirt path in the garden. I fell to my knees and shut my eyes, my jaw clenched in perfect silence as I tried to let go of all of my frustration. Then, once I'd practically shut out the rest of the world, I began to do something I never really wanted to do before. I was calling for the wolf.

"Wolf," I practically growled for the umpteenth time, unbelievably angry that the thing wouldn't show up when it was important. "Face me! Come out!"

After what seemed like much too long a time calling for the Wolf to appear, a gray mist materialized before me. It swirled and floated until it took the form of the Wolf, glaring ravenously at me just like old times.

I scrambled to my feet and dusted myself off, glaring right back in spite of my fear.

"What was that?!" I demanded, feeling incredibly small. "Why did you run away?! I thought you chose to enter into a contract with me!"

It howled, Freeeeeeeee...

"If you want to be free so bad, why did you pick me in the first place?"

Freeeeeee...

I growled in frustration.

"Then end it! End this stupid contract for good! I don't want to be stuck with you any more than you want to be stuck with me!"

The Wolf turned it's gaze back to me then, a low growl - almost like a purr - sounded in its throat.

No escape. No way out.

My frustration was growing. I ripped the pendant from my neck, breaking the chain link that held it together.

"Here's your way out!" I cried, stomping on the glass protecting the seal. "Here's your escape! Have your blood back! I don't want it anymore!"

I had no clue, admittedly, what that would do. Looking back, it was a horribly idiotic decision that brought me more trouble than I ever could have dreamed down the road.

The wolf howled again. Only, this time, the sound in my ears was not a howl by any means. It was more like a shriek that could only be described as nightmarish or even demonic. It screamed and screamed and screamed, sounding outraged that I would do such a thing. Then, in a turn of events no one could have seen coming, it leaped into me, merging its body with mine. I fell, my head and my back colliding with the earth for only a second before the latter arched upward. A horrible pain racked my body, and I couldn't contain the scream it pushed from my throat. The flesh just over my heart was the worst of it all, burning until I was sure I couldn't stand it anymore.

Then, it stopped.

I lay there, the broken pendant at my feet, trying to catch my breath.

Is it gone? Is it finally over?

I could hear the manor door open, no doubt in response to my screams of agony, and I shakily stood up. I dusted off my dress, thankful I hadn't ruined a second dress in just one day. Footsteps scurried down the garden path toward me, and I hurriedly scooped up the pendant and all of its pieces. With nowhere else to put them, I pulled open my neckline and dropped them into my bustier. The broken glass and severed chain links didn't feel the least bit comfortable rubbing against my skin, but I knew somehow that I couldn't let anyone see what I'd done. There was no telling what sort of reprimand I'd get if it came to light, and I couldn't handle that.

"Helen? What on Earth is the matter?" Break demanded, his brow furrowed in confusion and at least a bit of worry(anyway, that's what I like to think it was). "Why are you out here? Why are you so gray?"

"I needed some fresh air," I told him, my voice weak and shaky. "You know...for my headache. I'm just not feeling well, I suppose."

"And what was that screaming?" Break continued, shaking his hand free of his sleeve before pressing it against the uncovered portion of my forehead.

I froze, my mind racing for some sort of excuse.

"I...I stumbled. Didn't do anything for my head, and I'm sure I've got a few bruises to boot."

I winced, literally feeling the truth of that statement. I had hit all sorts of places on my body rather hard, including my already damaged head.

And yet, Break seemed to be scrutinizing me.

"What is it?" I asked, my heart practically stopping with worry.

"You sounded like you were being tortured, Helen. We need to get you looked at in the morning. Until then, it'd be best for you to sleep for a spell. I'll speak with Miss Sharon about it for you."

He nudged me forward, and I followed his suggestion up until I finally shut my bedroom door.

My chest was still burning, and I couldn't sleep without assessing the damage the Wolf had actually done to me.

I pulled the broken pendant from my bosom and undressed myself slowly, painstakingly. I balked at my reflection.

A tattoo?!

I scrambled for the pendant, a horrifying fear weighing down on my stomach. It took every ounce of control not to faint as I stared that the pendant...and the symbol inside of it.

The symbol - the outside of it, anyway - matched the one on my chest. I didn't need anyone to tell me what this meant.