Little Red Riding Hood and the Big, Bad Wolf

Story contains **** sex and references to **** ****.

Red's heart was pounding as she shoved some clothes into her bag. She couldn't handle it any longer. She had to get out of here.

It wouldn't be for long. Within two days the withdrawal symptoms would start. She would have to return. Her body would demand it. But she didn't care. She just wanted a couple of days of happiness, a holiday from hell.

The black-haired girl raised the hood that had given her her nickname, locked the door to her tiny apartment, and started walking. She was terrified of what her handler might do to her when her desertion was discovered. But she couldn't keep it together. She couldn't cope with the stress, the loneliness, the claustrophobia. She had to get out of here.

Xavier Wolf sipped his tea and watched the red-hooded figure making her way down the street below. Such a naïve girl. Butter wouldn't melt in that pretty mouth - and that was exactly what made her such a good courier: girls got searched half as often as guys. Gorgeous, innocent-looking girls like Red even less. Giving her a heroin addiction had been trivial, and now she belonged to him - so he found it amusing to watch her walking towards the forest. Her handler had said she was cracking, so it didn't come as a surprise she had finally broken. Nonetheless, Red needed to learn that disobedience would be punished. And for a girl with a figure as delectable as hers - this was something he wanted to handle personally.

He kept watching as the red hood slipped through the crowds towards the ancient forest. Its colourful canopy created a sharp boundary to the city, skyscrapers meeting trees, government protection an invisible wall that stopped the city's expansion. Wolf knew where she was going. He made it a point to learn all of his employee's weaknesses.

"Miguel," snapped the **** lord. "Fetch my Jaguar. I feel like going for a ride."

Red felt her thundering heart begin to slow as the autumn forest welcomed her into its warm embrace. Shafts of light filtered through the thick canopy to cast the path in shades of cinnamon and ochre. She imagined what it would be like to see her Grandma again, smell the familiar scent of her cosy cottage, go back to that place where she had so many happy childhood memories. She wore only jean shorts and a crop top under her red cape, but the still air was warm against her skin. The ground crunched beneath her trainers, and echoes of birdsong filled her ears. For a while, Red could almost forget about the Wolf Pack and Big H. Almost.

The coloured light of the forest grew dim as the sun set, but Red's feet had carried her to a familiar scene almost by instinct. A woodcutter's yard, with forklifts and tractors parked under shelter, piles of lumber stacked beside them, and a small building with a yellow light behind the window.

Trying not to be nervous, the petite young woman stepped up to the door and knocked. She heard the sound of someone standing, and their footsteps approaching, before finally the door opened.

"Red?"

"Hi, Mike." She smiled sheepishly. "I'm - I'm sorry to drop in on you like this, but I need somewhere to stay. Just until the morning."

He looked at her, the expression of surprise not leaving his face. "Uhh, sure, of course. ...Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Just on my way to visit my Grandma."

He beckoned her to follow him inside, and Red did so, trying not to stare too much at her old friend's face. She was sure he hadn't been quite so muscular ten years ago. Nor did she think he had such a sharp, strong jawline, covered in a shadow of black stubble. Or that strong nose... she realised she was staring again, and quickly looked away.

"Do you want something to eat? I was just having dinner."

Red hesitated. She didn't want to get close to him. It would only hurt him, in the end. "...Yes please. If it's not too much trouble."

"Not at all," said the woodcutter sincerely. "I'm afraid it's nothing special. Just a bean stew."

"It smells delicious," commented Red, watching as he poured her a bowl. Had his biceps been even half that large?

She gulped down the stew like a famished woman, as Mike busied himself in the kitchen, casting occasional glances at the childhood friend who had somehow appeared on his doorstep after so long with no contact.

"So," he said eventually, taking the seat opposite her. "I see you still wear the hood." Red smiled, slightly shrugging her shoulders. "I don't blame you. It looks good on you." They sat for several more seconds, the only sounds that of the distant diesel generator and the girl's spoon dipping back into the bowl.

Eventually, however, the lumberjack had to ask. "What happened for you, Red? I tried to call you after you left for the city, but you didn't pick up." She averted her dark, beautiful eyes. "It's been ten years, Red. You can't just turn up like this!"

The petite girl finally spoke. "I'm... sorry, Mike. I've been going through some stuff, but I - I don't want to talk about it right now. Thank you for being so kind to me. It isn't fair of me to ask all this of you."

"No," sighed Mike, sitting back. "No, it's fine. Sometimes you gotta handle stuff yourself. I'm just glad you're okay." He paused. "It's good to see you again, Red."

Once her bowl had been emptied, the woodcutter led her upstairs, to a fibreboard door painted a faded red. Mike exerted his strength to open the stiff door, its base grinding against the rough floor to reveal a spare bunk emerging from the impenetrable blackness. "It's not much, and sorry if it's a bit dusty in there. It's usually just me around the place."

Red turned to him, seeing the furrowing of his brow that betrayed a hint of loneliness. "I'm sorry to hear that," she said genuinely. Her hand raised slightly, thinking of touching him, before it dropped. She turned back to peer into the shadows, coughing from the dusty air. "Where's the light switch?"

"I'll get it for you," offered Mike, squeezing close past her. Red tried to follow, but her toes caught on something unseen, and she tumbled forwards with a sharp gasp. Her companion reacted quickly, spinning round to catch her in his strong arms. He held her supple body against his muscular frame for an instant, before helping her back to her feet.

"Thanks," she said, blushing in the darkness.

"No problem," came the awkward reply. He found the light, and turned back to the pink-cheeked woman. "Well. I… guess I'll leave you to it. Unless you need anything else?"

For a long moment, Red was tempted. It was a pretty cold night.

"No, thanks. Goodnight."

"'Night."