PROLOGUE

PROLOGUE

(disclaimer: I do not own the wonderful characters of the 10th Kingdom. I only wish to write what I think happened for the enjoyment of others and myself, since I love to write. Isn't that what fan fiction is about?)

The woods were quiet under the moonlit sky. There were no owls hooting, or raccoons rummaging in the bushes. It was as if the wildlife knew that this was a night best not to be seen, for fear of being a witness to any happenings that might occur.

It just so happened that this was such a night. For through the woods a lone figure walked, cloaked in a dark red cape that covered their entire form. The moonlight cast the figure's face in shadows, but the height of the figure revealed a woman. She moved through the trees as if she had knowledge of the path she was taking. She didn't use the cleared road, for she was desperate not to be seen by anyone this night.

She continued on, stepping over fallen trunks and taking care not to get snagged on broken tree limbs and hanging vines. She came to a clearing in the middle of the woods, the recent full moon hanging high above her head. She stopped, her breathing becoming more erratic as her nerves began to take over.

She turned quickly on her heels, the hood of her cloak falling away, revealing a young woman whose cheeks were red from her late night run in the cold. Her golden hair glittered under the light of the pale moon, falling in curls against her shoulders. Her blue eyes searched the trees, her ears aching for any sound.

Just as quietly as if he were a shadow, a tall man appeared from behind the very place she was staring. His black hair was wild, reaching down his jaw line to his chin. The cloaked lady seemed pale compared to his tanned skin, and his yellow eyes seemed to glow on their own. He moved his head in such a way that he seemed to be sniffing the air, like a child does when they smell something delicious in the oven.

He sighed in a lustful way. "How you torture me so, my sweet, by coming here." He took a step forward, his feet not making a sound on the fallen leaves. "You know well that you are my only mate. Yet you reject me and married another." His movements were slow while he circled her, as if she were his prey. "Why would you come here when you told me you would not be mine?"

"I'm sorry," she answered, not looking at him as he moved around her, "but I thought I had explained myself the last time we talked."

"Yes, yes, you said I was not suitable enough to be your husband. I was too wild, you said. You were just trying to be nice, my dear. You didn't want to admit that your family wouldn't accept a wolf as your husband." He stopped behind her, almost growling the last part of his statement.

"It wouldn't have been so bad if you hadn't tried to eat my grandmother and me when I was younger," she retorted, still not moving from her spot.

He huffed, reaching out to touch her soft curls. "But that didn't hold you back from giving your love to me."

"I was a foolish young girl back then."

He nearly tugged on her hair, and she gasped a little. "You are foolish still if you think you can come here and expect me to be hospitable." He stepped closer, lifting her locks to his nose and breathing in her scent. "Do you know how much I long for you? How you haunt my every dream?"

Her body shuddered at his breath on her neck, his hands in her hair. "Stop," she said, but it only came out as a pleading whisper.

"You know we belong together. We wolves mate for life."

"But I am not a wolf. I am a married woman."

He puffed, letting go of her hair. "Yes, no doubt a husband your family approves of? I have heard that you married the woodcutter that wanted my head. How ironic."

"You're bad for me," she replied, turning her head as he stepped around to face her.

"That's why they call me the Big Bad Wolf." He smiled cunningly, taking a step closer. He stopped suddenly, his nose picking up a new scent that seemed to be hidden until now. He looked at her curiously, almost angrily. "What's under your cloak?"

She sighed, starting to fear his anger. She shifted her shoulders, revealing her arms which had been under the cloak the entire time. A tiny bundle lay in her arms, and she could hear the peaceful sound of a sleeping baby.

The wolf's eyes widened as he stared at the little babe. He could tell right away it was a boy, with tussled black hair and a defined little nose. He looked up from the baby to her face, finally meeting her eyes. "You failed to let me know you were having my child?"

"I thought he was my husband's," she answered, starting to sound frantic. "We were only together once, and I didn't think anything of it, until…" Her voice trailed off, catching in her throat.

"Until the full moon last night," he finished for her.

She nodded. "My husband thinks that the baby died this morning from a fever. I couldn't tell him the truth." She extended her arms out, motioning for him to take their son.

He looked at her in shock and anger. "You would willingly give up the child we made from our love?"

"I do not love you!" she shouted, breaking the silence of the forest. Startled birds flew from the trees near the clearing, and a wondering raccoon scampered off in fear.

He held her eyes for a moment, searching for any last hope. She broke away from his gaze, hiding the tears that were forming.

"You are a bad liar," he growled, taking the babe into his own arms. He lifted the tiny face to his, breathing in the fresh baby scent. "Don't worry," he whispered to the sleeping babe, "you won't know anything of the mother who abandoned you."

She turned sharply, shocked at his declaration. He glared at her angrily, and ran off into the dark, leaving her to her tears.

(AN: Well, this is just the start of what's been in my head for years. I've always wondered what would have happened if they wrote more, or filmed a continuation. Now after having my own baby girl and reading more, my creativity has been coming in waves, and this is where it's brought me. Don't worry, my other works aren't forgotten.)