Virginia was devastated. All her and her father’s possessions had been sold by their landlord, Tony’s former boss. As soon as Tony had leapt to the other side of the mirror at the beginning of their adventure, the spell of the dragon dung bean had been broken. Mr. Murray had been furious! His excuse was that he used the money from the sale of their things to repair the damage that Tony had caused with his wild party.

Virginia tried to explain to the nasty man that it was the Trolls that did the damage, but stopped. How could she explain that? Blabberwort, Burly and Bluebell were on the Nine Kingdoms side of the mirror probably fighting for control of the Troll throne by now and besides, she wouldn’t wish the trio on anyone, let alone bring them back to New York City again.

Wolf considered biting the pudgy man in two pieces for his insolence in treating his creamy, dreamy fiancé in such a nasty manner, but stopped just in time as he remembered the promise he made to Virginia about behaving himself while in her world. If wolves were disliked in the Nine Kingdoms, then what would her world think if he were to act upon his natural inclinations in hers? He would be hunted down and killed. No different than in his own world, he thought. Or even worse, be caged up in a freak show, never to be free to roam again. Again, no different than his world.

Instead he waited until Virginia turned away, then stared at the man with full green eyes and growled low in his throat.

“Come on Wolf,” she said with a heavy sigh. “We’ll just have to go to Grandmother’s and try to explain away your strange behavior. Maybe if we’re lucky the news of a great-grandchild will help her relent.”

Wolf went with her without protest, but not before looking back at Mr. Murray one last time. The man was pale as a sheet, nearly in a faint and babbling to the doorman as he pointed at Wolf. The doorman just stood there looking as if the fat, little man had lost his mind. The front of Mr. Murrays pants were soaked wet, forming a dubious puddle at his feet.

Wolf smiled a happy, wicked, wolf smile and followed Virginia to Grandma’s house.

“My son is dead?” cried the old hag of a woman as she stared in shock at the courier before her, but it was the wolf at her side staring hungrily at him that made him nervous. “How did he die and at whose hand?”

“His heart was struck with one of his own bolts, Madam Tatler. A half-wolf by the name of “Wolf” was responsible as sure as if he had shot the crossbow himself.”

“Locate him for me and do not return until you find him, do you understand, young man? And don’t think you can go running off without reporting back to me, I know many powerful people here in the kingdoms. Rest assured, I will kill you if you fail me in your quest.”

“Y-y-yes, Madam…I promise I will return as soon as possible with the information you requested.”

After the man ran off to do her bidding, Madam Tatler…Zenda to the few whom called her friend, moaned deep in her chest. How dare this one called “Wolf” kill her only child, her pride and joy? She had been so proud that the Evil Queen had hand picked him to be her huntsman. The death of her grandson had been well worth the honor for her own son to be held in such high esteem in the Queen’s eyes. Her sickly grandchild should have died in infancy along with his good-hearted mother. Zenda hadn’t been able to stand the sight of neither. The young woman her dear son, Paul, had taken to wife all those years ago had been pure and fair, bewitching him and trapping him into a mundane marriage.

Zenda had been able to feel the underlying hardness in her son and knew he was destined for greatness until Kara came to the village one-day selling wares with her family. One look at her and Paul had been put under her spell. Their marriage not one month later caused a great rift between mother and son and her heart hardened against the girl and the grandchild Kara carried from the eve of their wedding night.

Kara knew her mother-in-law hated her as much as she knew that her husband, Paul, would never be able to change his selfish ways. The day their child, a boy, was born, she knew she would die and felt fear for her son. What would become of her child? A great destiny was at work the day she passed on, but never would she or her son ever know what part they played in its making.

“Grandmother?” called out Virginia. She had made Wolf wait in the hallway outside the front door to the entrance of the apartment so as not to frighten the woman out of her wits. Virginia prayed that the old woman had forgotten the incident, writing it off as the booze affecting her brain, but somehow she doubted it.

“My goodness, Virginia…is that you?”

Her grandmother rounded the corner of the room, greeting her granddaughter in the foyer of the apartment. Ever since that maniac had tried to cut her up, the old woman had given up the bottle. Never again would a stranger take her unaware. She even went so far as to take karate and self-defense lessons to prepare her in case it ever did happened again.

Now, here was her granddaughter…back from who knew where, but safe and in good health from the look of her. Since she no longer imbibed, she could realize clearly how miserable she had made Virginia each time the child visited and promised herself to make it up to the girl.

“Yes…it’s me,” Virginia replied. She hugged the woman and placed a kiss on her cheek. “How have you been since I saw you last?”

Virginia was fishing to see just how much her grandmother remembered, wincing as the old woman went on about karate lessons and defending herself against unsavory characters. Wolf couldn’t stay out in the hallway forever; she would just have to tell her grandmother the truth.

“Grandmother…” she began. “Do you remember the man who was here the last time I stayed with you?”

“You mean the one who tied me up? Who threatened to chop me up into pieces and put me in the oven? How could I forget? If I ever see that, that animal again it will be too soon! How dare he pass himself off as your fiancé? The nerve of some people!”

At that moment, the front door opened and Wolf slid in, shutting it quickly behind him. The neighbor in the next apartment had stepped off the elevator with probably the largest dog Wolf had ever seen. The mastiff took one whiff of him and lunged toward him. The owner had barely been able to hold the huge beast as Wolf made a dive for the door. Better to deal with a frail old woman’s wrath than one hundred and eighty pounds of muscle and sharp teeth. Wolfies didn’t like dogs as a rule, no siree!

From the look of both women’s expressions, Wolf realized that Virginia had not broken the news to her grandmother about him yet. Well, he would just have to make the best of things, put on the old wolf charm. It had worked with the old woman before, hadn’t it? The last thing Wolf remembered before he was knocked out was the woman’s feet greeting his face and a high-pitched yell piercing his eardrum.

“Grandmother!” Virginia cried in shocked amazement at the sight of her little grandmother laying Wolf out stone cold with ease that surprised both of them. “Don’t hurt him! He’s your future grandson-in-law and the father of your great-grandchild!”

“What?” Grandmother dropped the broom she had just been about to beat him with at Virginia’s announcement. “You mean he is your fiancé? What great-grandchild do you mean? Are you telling me you and he…this, this maniac are going to have a baby? Oh, my God…quick! Get me a bag. I think I’m hyperventilating!”

“Oh, Grandmother. You’re fine, it’s Wolf who needs help.”

“Wolf? What kind of name is Wolf? Is that a first name or last?”

“Er, both.” Virginia thought fast. “Something like “Cher” or “Roseanne”. Understand?”

“I don’t suppose he’s even an heir to that fortune he boasted about the first time he wheedled his way in here is he?”

“No…”sighed Virginia, then held her grandmother’s eyes, imploring her to understand. “But I do love him with all my heart and I’m going to marry him and if you want anything at all to do with me or your great-grandchild then I suggest you help me get him off the floor and onto the couch.”

Virginia covered her mouth with her hand, as astonished with herself, as her grandmother appeared to look. Never before had she spoke to the older woman so sharply before. To her surprise, her grandmother nodded her head and helped her granddaughter slide Wolf over the floor and up onto the couch.

Wolf moaned low in his throat as he began to wake up. How come was it that everytime he stepped into this apartment he ended up unconscious? He was supposed to be the enhanced being…not these frail humans. Yet, here he was again, laid out like a hot rabbit on a moonlit night. Cripes! First the big, big dog…now Virginia’s grandmother. All he really wanted was to be alone with his succulent Virginia…kissing her soft, creamy skin once again. What did a wolf have to do?

He felt her hands caress his face where her grandma had hit him and lightly feather his wounds with sweet kisses. Suddenly, abounding with energy, he grabbed her and pulled her down to him, capturing her lips with his until she fairly melted in his arms.

“Do you two want a room?” Grandmother asked sarcastically.

“Oh yes, please!” Wolf sat up enthusiastically. “The best that you have! Nothing is too good for my Virginia. Nothing!”

“Oh, Wolf.” Virginia laughed at the look of consternation on her grandmother’s face. “Well, we do need a place to stay for the time being, Grandmother. Dad has a new job and it’s, er…um, out of the country so we lost the apartment.”

“Well…I suppose,” agreed the old woman. “But I’ll be keeping an eye on this one.” She pointed a finger at Wolf. “And there better be a wedding soon or…or….” She froze as everything Virginia had said sunk in.

“Oh, my God! A wedding to plan! A baby to prepare for. Any other surprises you two? Oh, never mind,” she waved away their guilty expressions. “Virginia…get me the Ritz-Carlton on the telephone. We have a ton of planning to do!”

Virginia smiled weakly at Wolf. At least Grandmother didn’t present a problem anymore. The old woman was in her element once again.

The courier had friends in Prince Wendell’s castle, luckily for him. He was able to find out about Virginia and Wolf and relay the information back to Madam Tatler in record time. He had no wish to become involved in what he felt sure was to become a death plot. Madam Tatler was known far and wide throughout the Disenchanted Forest as a witch of great power. Some even whispered that she was related to the witch of the forest that nearly took the life of Gretel the Great and her brother Hansel. But who knew for sure? Better to be safe than sorry, that’s what his dear old mum always used to say.

Madam Tatler listened to the courier’s information with rapt attention, stroking the silver wolf beside her. The wolf was dangerous looking, its eyes holding the man’s gaze against his will. They were beautiful. A luminous blue…but mesmerizing and predatory.

“So, this “Wolf” has run off to another dimension with a young woman called “Virginia Lewis”, but her father still resides in the castle? It will be hard to gain entry to Castle White and even harder to get to the traveling mirror, of that I’m sure, with all the guards on duty, yet I must gain entry somehow.”

Madam pondered in thought, while the courier stood by waiting, wringing his hands, wishing desperately to be off and away from this horrid creature. His wife would be highly agitated at his absence. He wished with all his might that he would be dismissed and allowed to go his own way. Another line of work was in order; this one was much too dangerous!

“I know what to do!” she cried triumphantly. “The king’s stepmother had magic mirrors to help her. All I need are these mirrors to help me gain entry to the castle. From there I can find the travelling mirror, find this half-wolf and plan his demise without him being the wiser. You there!” she called to the courier.

“Yes! Er, yes, Madam?” squeaked out the poor man.

“I wish you to do my bidding once more. Go back to Castle White and return with all the mirrors you can find. Surely one can help me in my quest to revenge my son’s death!”

Oh, no…he groaned to himself, but aloud…

“As you wish, Madam.”