Little Red (11 page)

Her expression has changed.

She’s suddenly pale and feeble.

She looks at me, and before I can move her body crumbles.

Aaron is quick on his feet and manages to catch her safely in his arms.

Eli comes behind me to pick up the test as I take Red in my arms and carry her to
the rock hard couch in the room

Eli studies the stick, and I look back to him for confirmation.

“I have two pink lines.”

“I told you it’s a girl!” Ian beams

My Red is pregnant.

I feel my head spin and my heart thump as I try to truly comprehend what it means.

Red is pregnant…with my child.

Our senses are strong enough to pick up that much.

I let out a breath and close my eyes for a second.

I feel a slight sense of panic run down my body.

I’ve never been around kids much, neither have my brothers.

I don’t have a clue how to be a father.

I don’t even know where to start.

I look at Red who is clearly feeling the same thing that I am.

Worry, panic, and a whole mess of wild confusion even though we know full well how
and where it happened.

She lies back on the couch and brings a hand to her forehead

“Red,” I say to her softly

She moves her eyes slowly to meet mine.

“It’s alright,” I tell her as I see a few tears roll down her cheeks.

I bring my hands up, wiping them away.

“Please don’t cry.

It’s not a bad thing,” I say.

“You’re going to be alright.

We’re going to be alright.

You’re going to be wonderful.

You’re already wonderful; how could you not be great at this?”

“You’ll be perfectly fine,” I hear Aaron say

She finally sits up to look me in the eyes.

“See,” I say, “even Aaron says we’ll be alright.”

“If our fate rests in Aaron’s hands, we’re all screwed.” She laughs softly

“Hey!” I hear Aaron retort from his side of the room, which sends Eli into a fit of
laughter

“Where do I go from here?” she asks, finally

Without hesitation, every man in the room says, “Louisiana.”

“But,
where
?” she asks

“Ethan’s house, of course,” Trent says

Red gives me a strange look.

“That little cabin?”

Aaron laughs.

“Mr.

Money Bags has a huge house.

One of his bathrooms is the size of that cabin.”

I give her a slight nod

“Just like that? This fast? Isn’t this a little crazy?” she asks

“You’re carrying my son,” I remind her

Ian is quick to interrupt.

“Daughter.”

Her eyes meet mine.

“I don’t want to force this on you.

We don’t have to move in together.”

“Well,” I say, “where do you think I was planning on taking you before I knew about
the baby?” I ask.

“I was going to take you to my house.” I pause and think.

“Our house.

If you want it.”

Her expression softens, and I finally sense her beginning to relax

“What do you say; do you want to come live in our house?”

She laughs slightly.

“All these people here, and I don’t get a choice?”

Aaron steps forward.

“You want to live at my house?”

She makes a funny face.

“I pick Ethan’s.”

“Of course you do.” I smile, my eyes never leaving hers, and I reach for the closest
item, an unopened pregnancy test box, nailing Aaron in the head with it.

“Left side of the bed or right?”

She sighs.

“Just a safe bed.”

“From here on out,” I hear James say, “you’ll always be safe.”

I nod in agreement

“I’m just confused,” she admits

I push a few tufts of hair from her face that have gone askew.

“About?”

She points to Aaron.

“He hated me a month ago.”

James laughs.

“He didn’t hate you.

The full moon was up, we were in full moon rage, and your scent was driving us even
further over the edge.

Aaron was upset because you were a new female.”

“I wasn’t trying to be an asshole,” he agrees, looking at his feet.

“I didn’t mean to.”

“Now that she’s relaxing,” I hear Eli begin.

“Can you all please calm the fuck down? You have me ready to rip out my hair.”

She gives me a strange look

“The pregnancy, we can all sense it.

It’s hard to explain,” I tell her

“It makes us all edgy, very protective, and on constant guard,” Eli tells her.

“Even more so with it being our bloodline.”

“We’ve never felt that,” James says, “until now.”

Her mouth drops as things seem to fall into place for her.

She tucks her hair behind her ear and drops her voice to a whisper.

“The special thing, none of you have kids because of that.”

I nod.

“They never wanted to pass it down to anyone.”

“They said you can break it.”

I touch her face.

“Just relax,” I say, now feeling my brothers all begin to rev up again.

“We have plenty of time to talk about it.”

“Exactly,” James says.

“I say you need hotel rooms.

Go shopping; she needs some clothes without Josh’s scent.”

“I thought I needed Ethan’s scent,” she says

James smiles.

“Honey, you’re carrying it inside you.

I think that’ll do.”

“He smells like you?” She asks me

“She,” Ian says.

“
She
.”

I give her a nod.

“Which is why Aaron and Ian have turned to quite the softies.” I feel the unopened
pregnancy test box whack me in the head.

Red gives a soft laugh.

“What’s so funny?”

“You just all act like big kids; typical brothers.”

“Should have seen us growing up,” Trent finally speaks

“Alright, go,” James says.

“Hotels, clothes for Red, and for God’s sake get her some real food!”

She laughs and puts her face in her hands.

I can see a few tiny tears peek through as she hurriedly wipes them away

“Are you okay?” James questions

“I just…” She pauses and wipes at her face.

“I feel like I have a home, one that can’t be taken away.”

“Honey,” James says, “you have seven.”

Without speaking, Red stands and walks to James.

She smiles, touches his face, and leans down to kiss his cheek.

He pulls her into a hug, “You saved me, you know?”

I can feel myself almost becoming teary as she thanks him

James releases the embrace.

“I always wanted another sister.” He wipes at her cheeks and smiles.

“Now go.

Hotel rooms, food, and clothes for Red.”

I blink back a few tears and look around the room to see tears in everyone’s eyes

“Seriously?” James says.

“All of you?”

“I told you,” Eli says, rubbing his own eyes.

“Making us all nuts.”

I laugh and walk over to pat his shoulder

“Alright, alright.” Colt blinks.

“Food, hotel rooms, and get Red some clothes.”

Eli pushes Aaron and Ian toward me.

“You take these two with you.

They’re killing me.” He sniffles

* * * * * *

We all leave James, who happily accepts rest, and we trail from the hospital.

We bound for the elevator, and I quickly sense the man who joins us will not sit well
with any of us.

I move Red tenderly to my right as we form a circle around her.

She looks at me and seems to remember Eli’s words about being “over protective.” She
wraps her arms around her body and accepts the odd elevator stance

As we exit the elevator, I make sure to have Red put on my coat as Aaron and Ian trail
behind us.

Colt, Trent, and Eli let us know they’ll be in search of hotel rooms.

I give them a nod as I open the door for Red, and Aaron and Ian begin climbing into
the back.

“I saw a mall not too far from here; we’ll be there.”

“I shouldn’t need too much,” Red says as she clicks her seatbelt

“You’ll get whatever you want.” I smile.

“You have a lot more room than just two bags,” I say as I pull out of the hospital
parking lot.

“But, you’re eating first.”

I hear Ian and Aaron agree with me from the back seat

“I am a little hungry,” she finally admits

“Hungry?” Aaron says.

“You’re starved; I can feel it, which is why you’re not feeling well.”

My head snaps to look at Aaron and then to Red.

“You’re not feeling well?”

“It’s very faint,” Aaron says.

“She hides it well.”

I can feel my heart rate quicken.

“Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” she says.

“I’m just…I’m tired and a little…” she pauses, “weak…It’s been a long month.”

Finally, it dawns on me.

“You’re pregnant, and you’ve been with that lunatic for a month.”

“I’m fine, really,” she says

I feel Aaron’s hand come down my shoulder.

“He’s gone now.”

I make myself nod and glance at Red, who does look slightly exhausted.

“We’ll eat; you can rest and then get what you need.”

She gives me a nod and wraps her arms around herself

“What’s wrong?” I hear Ian ask

She turns to look at him.

“I was thinking.

I have been with…” She stops.

“He was…I mean, he...”

All three of us can sense where she’s going.

It seems, though scared, Red already loves the child.

Ian shakes his head.

“She’s there.

I can feel her.

She’s happy and content.”

Red turns completely to look at him.

“You can really feel that?”

He nods.

“Of course I can.

She’s got this essence of Ethan.

I can feel a part of Ethan in you.

When I look further into it, I can tell that it’s coming from your belly.

A strong, happy, beautiful wave is coming from you.

It’s peaceful.

And I can tell she’s a girl because, well, I just can.”

Her mouth drops and she turns to me.

“I can feel the wave he’s talking about.

How calm and beautiful it is,” I tell her.

“The smell, well, I don’t really smell myself.” I let out an uncontrolled laugh

She gives us a strange look but ultimately accepts our reasoning as she settles quietly
into her seat.

I glance at her a moment and then to her belly.

I don’t think the pregnancy has had time to sink in for any of us

Red easily guides us to the mall in town.

A large brick building is spread over a parking lot that’s completely surrounded by
trees.

The only thing on my mind is food for Red, so I quickly locate the food court which
seems to have more than enough options to keep us all happy.

After a quick discussion, the four of us decide that our growling stomachs leave no
room to be picky as we choose Cracker Barrel, a place we’re all familiar with.

As we walk inside, I can’t help but to think how frail she actually is, covered in
bruises and cuts, but somehow carrying life.

Aaron’s hand comes down on my shoulder as though to encourage me.

It’s a nice surprise to see support coming from both him and Ian.

Surprising and shocking at the same time

As we order our food, Aaron can’t help but to make a funny face.

“All these people, and all I smell is that asshole, Josh.”

“I’m sorry,” Red says, softly.

“I’ll change as soon as I can.”

“It’s okay,” I tell her.

“Eat first, clothes later.”

She gives me a slight nod as her brown hair flings down into her face.

I try to pull my eyes away but find myself smiling.

She’s beautiful.

Her skin is a soft ivory that, aside from her marks, is completely flawless.

Her eyes are a beaming and gorgeous blue that nearly put our wolf silver eyes to shame.

Her lips are full and even look soft and pliable to kiss.

Ian’s laughter snaps me back.

“Could you be any more obvious?”

I shoot him a look from across the table.

“You behave.”

“You behave.” He laughs.

“You need a bucket for the drool.”

Aaron laughs.

“Down boys.”

Red smiles and takes a sip of water

“I know this is an awkward and strange position to be in,” I tell her.

“I never thought…” I trail off.

“I mean, I never guessed that…”

“That I would end up pregnant…” The tone in her voice is pitiful, sad, and sounds
on the verge of tears

“That’s not at all what I...” I stop again and take a breath.

“I just mean that, well, that night I looked at you, but I didn’t take all of you
in.” I rub my face and laugh.

“I’m just trying to say that...”

“He thinks you’re hot, and he can’t help but to stare,” Ian says

I fight the urge to stab him with my fork as I make a face at him.

To my surprise, she laughs

“I just can’t help it,” I say finally.

“And I’ve never been one to stare.”

Aaron interrupts.

“Ethan is our good little boy.

You’ve definitely done something to him.”

Now I can feel my cheeks turning every shade of red in the book as I fight to smile
at her.

She laughs and reaches to touch my hand.

“Thank you.” She bites down on her bottom lip.

“It’s kind of nice to know that you’re looking at me that way and not just some girl
that you got pregnant.”

“I don’t think I could ever look at you that way,” I tell her

She smiles just as the waiter places our plates in front of each of us.

I stare up at him as he smiles at Red.

I notice a strange feeling wash over me, and suddenly Aaron’s eyes lock with mine.

He gives his head a shake as Red completely brushes off the smiles and digs in to
her plate of food.

I shake my own head, feeling a little crazy for being jealous, and begin to eat my
own food as Ian thanks the waiter