Snow watched her best friend and the man who had spared her life sit side by side before the fire and tried to stop smiling. She remembered last winter seeing them together for the first time and the certainty that she was seeing two people destined to be together had hit her instantly. Red called her a romantic and she was but she knew she was right. Sometimes two people got lucky, not everyone meets their true love, and she would make sure that they find happiness together. She owed each other of them a debt of thanks that she could not even convey. She sighed wistfully as Red and Graham slipped under his fur and her red cloak, her thoughts turning to Charming and she prayed that wherever he was that night he was safe.

"Good night you two, sweet dreams," she said in a light suggestive tone as she settled down to sleep and Red lifted her head up with a bemused smile. Snow White was utterly transparent about her hopes for her and Graham's relationship and it amused her greatly, even if it usually resulted in her face glowing red like a sunset.

"She's like an old woman sometimes," Red whispered fondly as she rested her head back down on her pack roll. Her grin faded as she stared into his troubled face. Since appearing he had been silent, which was not unusual, but the feeling that he had something on his mind would not leave her. He often stared around as if unsure why he was there and it puzzled her. She touched her icy fingertips to his cheek and his gaze focused on her.

"Sorry, miles away. I won't be able to go with you to the meeting, if they know I'm here they'll never trust you," he was no longer the huntsman but the Queen's pet and now her shadow tainted everything he touched. Red nodded in agreement.

"I know but I'm glad you came. She won't notice your absence?"

He hesitated before answering. "She thinks I'm hunting in the mountains so I'll have to leave in the morning to bring her game," he turned to stare up at the sky, where a multitude of stars shone like shattered diamonds. Red moved closer to him, pressing her face into the fur around his shoulders and his arm slipped around her waist, pulling her closer.

"When you have your heart back and she is captured, when Snow has her throne, what will you do?" she asked it lightly, her slim fingers plucking at the fur but she stopped when he closed his fingers around hers and she stared into his eyes.

"Before I met you I would have headed into those woods and never come out again," he confessed and the pain in his voice made her throat go tight with unshed tears. When Red first realised that Graham shared Regina's bed she had been crushed but he had been quick to disused her of any doubts and expressed the truth of his imprisonment in the only way he could, in stutters and half finished sentences. His shame had been too great for anything else and they had not discussed his abuse at the hands of the Queen further. It was a shard of rage and agony in her heart every time he left her to go back to the palace.

"But now?" she whispered, her fingers combing through his hair and he smiled gently, reaching across to rub his thumb against her cheek.

"Now I know what my purpose is. Since I was kicked out of the pack I was adrift, I wasn't a wolf but I never fit in with people but I think that's changed now. I didn't think I could be both until I met you and Snow. So if Regina is toppled I want to help you protect wolves, that's all I've ever wanted."

"Good," she smiled, genuinely happy but it was spoiled a little. She looked aside, mouth pursing. "Anything else?"

"Hmm, there might be something else…" he screwed up his face in concentration, trying to remember before he exhaled. "No, nothing," he grinned as she gently slapped his chest and he pulled her against him with a low chuckle before growing serious. "It's just you, it's only ever been you," he confessed softly and he meant it. He had women before, had thought he knew love but even without his heart he knew Red was different and that realisation came with a stab of pain. She deserved someone whole and that was not him, not yet, but he knew she was battling with her own demons.

"Graham I…" she trailed off, wanting desperately to pour out her heart to him but she couldn't. Regina could be no one and he could have a heart but her misgivings and doubts would still remain. She was scared to love him only for it to be taken away and worse by her own actions. She sighed, pushing away her doubts as he pressed his lips to her forehead.

"Goodnight Rose, I'll be here when you wake up," he said sleepily and she pressed her face against his chest and fell asleep surrounded by the smell of the pines and the sound of his heart beating in her ears.

As dawn broke over the top of the forest and a chorus of birdsong rose to meet it Red and Graham said goodbye and they parted reluctantly, Red holding back tears of frustration and not knowing why. Snow hugged her in sympathy before they set off for the meeting place.

"I know you're scared, after what happened to Peter, but I promise you that won't happen. You are in control Red, you won't hurt him."

"I know that, I do but I can't stop the way I feel. I look at him and I want him so much but if I do then it's like I'm inviting something bad to happen. Does that sound crazy?" she asked miserably as Snow took her hands.

"No, of course not. You went through something awful, more than most people could endure but you're strong Red and in time you'll be ready again. I know you think I'm being a busy body but I know you two belong together. Believe me when you have it you don't want to waste a second," she stressed, squeezing her hands and Red gazed at her sadly.

"You'll see Charming again."

"I know, we always find each other…but I miss him," she sighed and they walked onwards, leaving the dwarves at the camp. They were backup if anything went sour. They walked over a grassy mound to look down upon an open field where dark shapes looped through the morning mist.

"Wolves."

"Alphas," Red corrected and steeling herself she made her way down the slope, Snow a few steps behind her. A human at a werewolf gathering would not be taken gracefully but Red wanted her to be there.

As the shapes shifted into human form the field grew denser until it was filled with about thirty men and women. At one time thousands of werewolves roamed the land but they had been hunted nearly to extinction, now only a few packs remained. Red lowered her hood as the alphas stared at her. They were all older than she was and more importantly all belonging to a pack. She was neither an alpha nor even an omega as even they had packs and she knew her presence amongst them was tentative at best. She had to be very careful. A woman with long white hair stepped forward, eyeing her intently and her green eyes flashed gold.

"Why have you called us girl?"

"Yes I got so beyond the point of annoyed that I'm now just curious to see someone with so much determination," a middle aged man with ginger hair said somewhat fondly and Red took that as a good sign.

"I'm relieved and more grateful than I can say that you've all agreed to come. I have a proposition for you," she started and someone scoffed.

Why should we listen to you?

The question was not spoken aloud but directed right into her mind. Werewolves were telepathic and Red only had a passing experience of it. She tried to stop herself gasping as a murmuration of agreement sounded in her head and she turned to Snow who looked deeply perplexed.

"Could you speak aloud please? She can't hear us."

"Well that's another reason why we should leave. She brings a human with her," a wrinkled old man said grumpily and his eyes flashed gold in the rising sun.

"Please, just hear me out. You've come all this way, at least give me the benefit of the doubt? I know you have every reason to leave: I'm no leader, I have no pack to speak of and until very recently I didn't even know what I was…but I wouldn't be here now if that wasn't the case."

"You say you have no pack but we know where you are from girl," the white haired woman said and Red swallowed. "Anita's pack brought nothing but shame on us all. We're feared now more than ever and hunted twice as fierce," she said and angry cries of agreement went up.

"After the carnage they wrought over the winter my family has been driven out of two dens!" a man shouted and others voiced similar tales. Red nodded, sharing in their grievance. She lifted her hands for silence.

"I understand and I agree! That's why I'm here but we can't change anything if we don't work together," she stressed and the red haired man narrowed his eyes.

"And what then? We just want to be left in peace. What are human matters to us?"

"Because what's happening now concerns everyone, not just humans. You can hide in your lairs, shut your eyes to the truth but I promise you one day you'll come to the surface and you'll either find the world empty or the enemy at your door. Either way we won't survive."

"What do you propose? They hate and fear us and with good reason."

"We need to show them that we're not to be feared without reason. We will defend ourselves but we should be respected and we have to show them that we are a people worth respecting. We are wolves yes but the heart that beats in your chest is the same as theirs and we need to accept that," Red finished passionately and another muttering buzzed in her head as they confided with each other. The white haired woman gazed at her thoughtfully but she did not look convinced.

"They think we're monsters, human heart or not."

"Then lets prove them wrong."

"How?"

"By caring about the lands we live in and the neighbours we share," Red said but she could tell she was losing some. At the back she saw a few shape shift and melt away back into the forest and her heart sank. However some remained and when she felt Snow brush against her arm she drew strength from that. The exiled princess smiled politely at those gathered and Red thanked the gods that she had years worth of royal training to fall back on.

"My name is Snow White and Regina has usurped my throne and if you agree I'd like your help winning it back. She will hunt you down if you don't join her because she knows what a valuable asset you are. I want to end the suffering she has caused, even if I fail in getting my kingdom back I'll be happy knowing she has been stopped. If I succeed I swear to you that I will outlaw the hunting of wolves and make sure that you have land to roam in undisturbed. Will you help me?"

"Will you fight for the freedom that's ours?" Red added fiercely.

Snow spoke with heartfelt sincerity and Red felt a swell of pride for her friend. She would make a wonderful queen but would her speech be enough to convince them? As the pack leaders conversed together privately Red froze, looking around as a familiar scent reached her but she dismissed it until the other wolves looked up and started to growl. Graham appeared over the ridge and her heart leapt at the sight of him.

"What are you doing here?" she asked but then her blood ran cold as he stared down at the gathering with unmistakable loathing.

"Do you know who I am?" he shouted, standing high above them.

"You were from Anita's pack, the little orphan boy they found wandering the woods. Now the Queen's pet," the old man sneered and Graham grinned.

"That's right and I'm here now on her orders." The cold blood in her veins turned to ice as he caught her eyes and sneered. "Are you really going to listen to this girl? Follow her? Because that's what she wants, one big pack under her control because it's the one thing she lacks."

"What are you saying?" she yelled, heart breaking and Snow gripped her hand, stilling her.

"He's not himself Red. It's Regina's doing," she whispered and Red knew she was right but it still hurt. Graham ignored her and looked at the remaining alphas.

"If you follow this girl, who killed her own mother and destroyed a pack for this human," he motioned to Snow who stared at him sadly. "If you follow this traitor what does that say about you?" he asked and the leaders looked uncertain but a few shook their heads, angry.

"She might be a girl but she's strong, all Lucas women are!" someone shouted proudly and Red wondered briefly if she was family when Graham laughed and drew an arrow from his quiver.

It's not him, It's Regina. Oh gods what do I do? she thought wildly as he drew back his bow string and the arrow head glinted silver in the sunlight. His smiled again and in that moment he looked more wolfish than any of them.

"Strong? Look how easily she falls to me," he proclaimed and Red was frozen in shock, watching as his hands shook and his face contorted as he tried in vain to take back control. "Run," he managed to breathe before loosening the arrow and pandemonium broke out as the dwarves came crashing over the hill, shouting out Snow's name. In the chaos that followed no one saw where the arrow had landed but the Huntsman moved through the crowd with determination as a troop of Regina's knights came bursting through the woods. The wolves scattered, the dwarves grabbed Snow and ran before she could be caught, screaming out her friend's name in horrified panic. As the field emptied Red swayed on her feet and looked down at the blood pooling through her fingers.

"Graham?" she whispered as he suddenly appeared at her side and caught her in his arms as she fell. The arrow was embedded in her side and she was bleeding heavily but he had missed her heart. Her face grew pale and her eyes rolled back in her face as the silver stopped her ability to heal. Graham blinked suddenly, the cruel smile on his lips dropping like a rock as he stared in horror at the dying woman in his lap. As the guards approached them he lifted his head and gazed with such feral hate that a knight crept up behind his back and knocked him out with the hilt of his sword.

a.n:

Sorry cliffhanger!