Chapter 1
The Beast that was chasing Elphaba Thropp was wounded. She hadn’t meant to hurt her, only to slow the Wolf down.
But that hadn’t done anything.
The Wolf had always been persistent.
Elphaba groaned as she ran through the woods. The weather had turned and the snow coming down made it hard for her to fly on her broom. The snow also made it hard to run. The new moon made it harder to see.
It wasn’t the Wolf’s fault. She could never blame the Wolf for hunting her.
No, it was Elphaba’s own fault.
For leaving her behind.
Elphaba broke one promise to Glinda.
What was one more.
Elphaba just couldn’t do it.
And it would cost her.
Cost her her own life. But the sacrifice would be worth it, if it meant the Wolf would keep hers.
But the only people that knew the Wolf as she used to be aside from Elphaba, had no use for the girl. They only wanted the Beast.
The Hunter.
Another howl was the only warning she got before a wolf blocked her path.
This was not her beautiful Beast.
But it was hunting her all the same.
Elphaba turned to run but another grey wolf blocked her path.
This was a pack.
The grey wolf at the head of the pack flung backwards on its haunches. That was the only warning Elphaba had before it launched itself at her, its jaws open and teeth ready to sink into her throat.
Elphaba held her arms up in front of her face, as if that was enough to block the attack.
There was a loud snarl from her left.
A large golden furred Wolf tackled the smaller gray wolf out of the air. The gray wolf yelped as it hit a tree hard. The golden Wolf growled at the other wolves, putting herself between the pack and Elphaba.
“Glinda!” Elphaba gasped.
Being this close to the Wolf, Elphaba could see just how much she had changed from the last time they had been together.
It had been hard to believe that such a dainty little blonde like Glinda could shift into such a massive thing. But Elphaba had witnessed the transformation herself more than once. She had been afraid at first, not because of Glinda’s sharp teeth or heavy paws with claws like knives, but because the transformation looked painful and hurt her friend so badly. She had realized that it was still Glinda in front of her when the Beast had dropped to her belly and covered her face with her paws in embarrassment at being seen. And when Elphaba had said that Glinda was larger than the Wolf Doctor that had taken care of her as a child, then she had huffed. That had confirmed that was still her roommate.
But this wasn’t her Glinda.
This Wolf was larger and bulkier. Elphaba could hear Glinda scolding her for commenting on a lady’s size. But this Wolf was all muscle.
Muscle being used to fight the wolves that had been attacking Elphaba to deadly effect.
Powerful jaws clamped around smaller adversaries’ limbs and at least one throat. Deadly claws slashed at backs and muzzles.
It was clear that Elphaba was the Wolf’s prey and she was not willing to share.
That was another thing that had changed.
That Glinda was hunting her.
Glinda had never been violent. She had once knocked Elphaba over once while furry, having gotten a little too excited. Afterwards, Glinda had avoided Elphaba for days, bed empty in the early morning and late to return to their dorm. It had lasted until the green girl had cornered her and told her it was okay and it hadn’t hurt her. Glinda still played around while transformed, but was more cautious and held back, so as to not have a repeat incident.
But now Glinda wasn’t holding back.
Elphaba was sure she would have lost an arm if she had been any slower. As it was, she had a long laceration on her forearm from one of Glinda’s claws. She had wrapped it as best as she could with a torn piece of her cloak. The fact Glinda hadn’t used her teeth and kept her trapt in her jaws made Elphaba hope that the Wolf was fighting whatever the Wizard and Morrible had done to her.
But hoping and wishing… Wishing only wounds the heart.
The wolves were giving as good as they got. And while Glinda had size, they had numbers.
The wolves fought on, clawing and biting trying to overwhelm her. They just might because of the burn Elphaba had dealt Glinda first.
Magic!
Of course!
She wanted to smack herself for forgetting. The adrenaline flowing and her heart beating fast was no excuse. She threw a fireball towards a pair of wolves. She called another one forward and threw it, striking a wolf in the face. Panicked at the sight of the flames, the remaining wolves ran off.
Glinda stood still on all fours, staring at her. Like she was trying to remember what Elphaba meant to her. Was there actually recognition in those brown eyes? Or was this wishful thinking once again?
Still, Glinda hadn’t restarted the Hunt.
It became apparent why when Glinda collapsed to the ground.
While Glinda had taken out her fair share of flesh and fur from the wolves, they had done the same to her. Not all the blood dripping and staining the snow was from the wolves after all.
Elphaba stepped closer, reaching her hand out.
Glinda snapped her teeth at her with a growl. Elphaba would have lost a finger if she hadn’t moved back fast enough.
Or if Glinda wasn’t sluggish from blood loss.
“Remember me, my sweet,” Elphaba whispered her command gently.
And maybe it was enough because Glinda let her come closer with a whine.
“Silly beast.” Elphaba ran a hand over Glinda’s head. “What am I going to do with you?”
Glinda stared Elphaba down with her golden brown eyes, then lowered them to her side.
“No, Glinda.” Elphaba felt the weight of the knife Glinda had gifted her at her hip even more. “I will not do that. I know you asked me to, but- No. I can’t.”
If it hadn’t been one of the only two things left of Glinda‘s she owned while on the run, then Elphaba would have gotten rid of it. She was so afraid of losing her pointed hat that all she would be stuck with was the silver knife that she didn’t. Because she was more afraid to have nothing left of Glinda's.
Glinda whimpered again.
“You’re in pain. I’m sorry. Let me take care of your wounds.” Elphaba reached out again, but Glinda moved her head away.
Instead, Glinda huffed at the makeshift bandage around Elphaba’s forearm.
“Oh.” At least if Elphaba ever lost the hat or the knife, she would have the scar from the laceration Glinda gave her. “That wasn’t your fault.”
Glinda closed her eyes with a whimper and shook her head.
“I will not leave you. Again. And I will not leave you hurting. I already tended to my wound. Let me tend to yours.” Elphaba crouched down next to Glinda.
She looked at the Wolf’s neck, shuddering and decidedly forcing herself to not acknowledge the corpse of the wolf Glinda had killed by tearing into their throat with her teeth.
With a burst of energy, Glinda bared her throat to Elphaba. There was a panic in her eyes as her body tensed.
“I know I promised! But I told you I wasn’t going to-“ Elphaba touched Glinda’s neck. Instead of fur, she felt leather and metal. “Is this- Did she put a collar on you!”
Glinda started to growl. It was low at first then it became louder. Then she started to bare her bloody teeth.
Glinda was gone.
The Hunter had returned.
Elphaba threw herself back, out of reach again.
The collar around Glinda’s neck had to be removed. Even if it had nothing to do with controlling Glinda, it was degrading. The Wolf wasn’t a pet. She didn’t belong to anyone. No matter how many times Glinda said she was hers.
Besides, the collar was on too tight. Elphaba hadn’t been able to get a finger underneath it.
“Glinda, please,” Elphaba begged. “Come back to me.”
But it was no use.
The Hunter was after her prey.
If Glinda had been at full strength, Elphaba would be captured or killed then and there. Luckily, she hadn't been able to heal any of the Wolf’s wounds. Unlucky for Glinda, of course. If it had been luck at all.
Glinda had refused to let Elphaba heal her. This wasn’t just her suffering in silence and hiding what she was, like after full moons back at their shared dorm room at Shiz. This was because she knew she’d be losing control soon. And that she’d be hunting Elphaba once more.
She had been letting Elphaba know that the collar was responsible for controlling her. Responsible for why she was transformed even when it wasn’t a full moon.
Elphaba sat on her cloak in the snow, glad she had treated it to be waterproof. She took out the Grimmerie. “I need a spell to break Glinda’s collar.”
The Grimmerie flipped its pages, until it came to a stop on a spell.
Elphaba read it out loud. The words were in a language she didn’t understand, but she could feel this was the right spell. Or at least the one that fit what she asked for.
She had to wonder if the Grimmerie would twist her wishes and give her something horrible again. Like when she forced wings on the monkeys. Maybe that only happened when it was trying to warn her. Or there was something she had to learn. Like the truth about the Wizard and Morrible.
But when she needed help, the Grimmerie gave a broom flight when she had to escape.
Then again that had been the first spell she had done more than once.
She wasn’t about to cast that spell she had used to save Boq ever again.
Once Elphaba finished the spell, the collar clicked open.
And Elphaba reached her hand forward once again, this time to finally rid Glinda of that detestable collar. Maybe once it was no longer touching her, Glinda would transform back.
But Glinda growled yet again.
“I know you’re hurting. But let me help you,” Elphaba scolded. She yanked the collar off quickly, hoping it was just like ripping off a bandage covering up a small cut.
Glinda howled sharply, before going still.
Elphaba hurried closer. She shook the Wolf. “Glinda? Glinda!”
Her chest was still rising and falling steadily. Glinda had finally passed out from her ordeal.
Elphaba started to tend to Glinda’s wounds. There were several on her back from teeth and claws. And the burn on her hind leg that Elphaba was responsible for. And the one around her neck from where the collar cut into her neck.
Once her work was done and the bleeding stopped, Elphaba waited.
And waited.
But Glinda was still a giant wolf.
Elphaba looked down at the collar in the snow. She picked it up and examined it now that an angry Wolf wasn’t preventing her from taking a closer look. There were runes and sigils etched into the leather and metal.
Silver.
Elphaba clenched her teeth.
The metal was silver. And not only was there silver on the outside of the collar there were silver studs on the inside. The collar wasn’t just about control.
It was about pain. About punishment.
Maybe if Elphaba destroyed it, Glinda would change back. She would destroy it anyway. The collar was just as cruel as the cages Animals were subjected to.
A flame erupted in the palm of her hand and soon the collar turned to ash and melted metal.
Still, Glinda was a giant wolf.
Elphaba looked up into the night sky. The moon was lower and dawn was on the horizon. Was it the moon’s presence keeping Glinda this way?
But Glinda had always been back before dawn at, only needing the first rays of the sun to kiss the night.
Elphaba could make more excuses. Maybe Glinda was still exhausted from the hunt and once she was rested, she would transform. Or maybe her body was more focused on healing than the change.
But Elphaba knew she had to face the truth.
Glinda was stuck, unable to shift back.
“What did that horrible witch do to you?” Elphaba was sure it was worse than she could imagine.
She traced a scar on Glinda’s muzzle that hadn’t been there when Elphaba had seen her Wolf last. Same with one above her left eye. Something that had been there before was all of Glinda’s ear. Part of it was missing now.
“Wake up soon, my sweet.” Elphaba leaned against Glinda’s side, trying her best to wrap her arms around the wolf. She knew embrace was more to comfort her than the unconscious blonde, no matter how much she tried to fool herself. She couldn’t blink away her tears any longer.
They fell freely, making Glinda’s fur damp.
Not for the first time, Elphaba wished she and Glinda had never gone to the Emerald City that one short day.
That she had never trusted Morrible.
That she had never enrolled at Shiz.
Then Glinda would have been better off.
Because Glinda knew her, she had been changed.
For the worst.
“I should never have left you.“