Red Riding Hood (BoyxBoy Story)

Cassidy POV   The wind blew past my ears as I urged my stallion to gallop faster. I love riding. Especially through these woods. I don't care if my father claims it's dangerous and full of bandits. I've never been attacked. Besides, I know how to fight. It comes with being the son of a Lord, more specifically the son of Lord Winters, the best friend of King Bellador and one of the key council members.   I'm seventeen and almost legal. Father should no longer worry so much about me going out, honestly. As it is, it's late enough that my father would probably be worried. I pulled my horse into a light trot as make my way through the forest back to the manor. It is the night of the full moon and I shouldn't be out here. Since young, my father has always told me stories of werewolves that prowled the very woods that I love to ride in. Fairytales of men who could transform into beautiful monstrous beings under the pale light of the moon. There are no werewolves anymore though, because of a disease that wiped out most of the werewolves in the kingdom. Any remaining werewolves have either moved away or gone into hiding.   As I move through the forest on the path of dried leaves, a light wind blows through, ruffling the leaves in the trees. The forest was unnaturally silent. My heartbeat picked up. As expectedly unexpected, a soft whistle blew past my ear and an arrow lodged itself into the branch ahead of me, startling my horse. He reared back, catching me by surprise and I desperately struggled to hold on as I was thrown off. I broke my fall with my wrist, breaking it instead. Pain causing an adrenaline spike in my veins as I scrambled up, grabbing my dagger with my good hand, which was also not my master hand, so not actually very good. I spun around to face my attackers, red riding cloak swishing behind me.   Shit.   I brought my arms up, wielding the dagger as threateningly as possible.   "Ooh...we got ourselves a pretty boy here! An' one of those fat lord's son from the looks of it eh!"   I bristled in anger.   "Come on then, ye know what we are, give us all ye valuables an' maybe we won't hurt ye," the leader laughed.   "Leave this forest and I won't press charges," I replied warningly. The big brute standing a little in front of the leader pointed his crossbow at me.   “Now, now Brian, no need to be so hasty. Since pretty boy doesn't want to give in, we'll indulge 'im won't we boys?" He crowed in delight. "Well, then, show us what ye got pretty boy!"   I counted to three in my head and lunged at the leader. He stepped aside easily, cackling in amused delight. I swung my dagger at him but he caught my wrist and kneed my stomach. I swore loudly. I should have trained with both arms equally.   "Someone's got a dirty mouth! I'd tap that. That all ye got pretty boy?" He laughed as he taunted me.   I glared at him through the waves of pain from my poor bruised stomach and my snapped wrist. "f**k. You. Bitch." I panted. His facial expression darkened. He grabbed my hair and pulled, bending down to speak in my ear.   "Ye better watch your mouth, I could hurt ye real bad." I spat at his feet. He growled and punched my stomach again and again. I didn't know how long he kept punching me, I just knew that I felt numb. I was curled up on the ground trying to protect myself. But even the ringing in my ears couldn't block the howl that rang through the night, loud and clear. It was a wolf's howl, but that couldn't be right, there weren't supposed to be any wolves?