Little Red (7 page)

“Elise…” My voice trails off as she runs into our cabin.

“Elise!” I call after her again.

By the time I reach the door, she’s already inside.

She’s lying back in the middle of the floor, staring at the ceiling.

“Elise.”

She stares up at me with bright blue eyes and smiles.

“Ethan.”

I let out a sigh.

“I’ve done something.”

She sits up and gives me a quizzical look

“I’ve done something I never do.” I say, staring into the gray eyes and facial features
that nearly match mine

She laughs.

“I think it was meant to happen.

I think the moon has plans for you, Ethan.

I think you’ve met your mate.

You connected with her in ways that even Eli and Maggie haven’t experienced.”

“But, it’s not me,” I say.

“I’m not like that.

Why? After all this time, why her? Why now?” I find myself slumping down onto the
couch

“Ethan,” she starts.

“Are you happy?”

I laugh slightly and look down.

“Yeah, I think I am.”

“Well, then what makes you think it was something bad?” She asks, flipping her long,
dark hair behind her.

“Was it out of character? Sure.

But, if it made you happy, why stop?”

I look up at her with my mouth hanging open; such wise words from such a young woman

“It’s time for you to live Ethan,” she smiles

Suddenly, I’m jolted awake by Ian’s voice in my face.

The bright sunlight is harsh against my eyes, and I squeeze them tightly shut.

“Ian, you asshole.”

“You were talking in your sleep,” he tells me

I suddenly become a little more alert and sit up in the chair.

Red.

I feel a knot tangle in the pit of my stomach as I become excited to see her.

I glance at Ian.

“What time is it?”

“It’s just after noon,” he says, sitting a cup of coffee on the table and having a
seat on the couch across from me

“Is Red awake?” I ask, sitting up, rubbing my hands down my tired eyes

He shrugs

I roll my eyes and head to the kitchen where I find Aaron waiting on a pot of coffee
to finish

“Where is everyone?” I ask, pulling a coffee cup from the cabinet

“Maggie and Eli went to the grocery store.

Trent and Colt both went home.

James is around here somewhere,” he says, taking the pot and pouring us both a cup

“Where’s Red?”

He looks up with quite the smile on his face.

“She’s gone.”

I feel my eyes widen.

“What do you mean ‘she’s gone’?” I ask, nearly dropping the cup of boiling black liquid

“She’s gone.

I thought you knew,” he says.

“When she got out of the shower, she talked to you and left.”

“She did not talk to me,” I say, realizing I’m raising my voice

“She came downstairs, found you, and then I watched her leave,” he tells me

“Aaron, you fucking asshole, you let her just leave?”

I hear the footsteps bounding down the hallway.

Both James and Ian have come to the sound of my raised voice.

I don’t even give them time to question.

“Aaron fucking let her leave!”

James’ eyes turn on Aaron and then to me.

“Are you sure she’s not upstairs?”

Aaron shakes his head.

“I saw her leave when she finished her shower.”

“And you just let her walk out the fucking door, Aaron?” James shoots.

“Knowing that someone is after her! Knowing that Ethan has claimed her! That we have
to protect her!”

“Yeah, she’s his alright,” Aaron snickers

I feel myself begin to lunge over the kitchen island, only to be stopped by James
whose arms wrap around my chest and yank me backward

“I thought you knew,” Aaron says flatly

“I fell asleep in the chair, you idiot!” I yell, grabbing at my hair and tugging.

I look back at James as I pace the dark hardwood floor of the kitchen.

“James, he’s hurt her before and he’ll do it again.”

“Okay,” James starts.

“Let’s think.

Do you know where she would go?”

“I know she’s from Kentucky,” I say

“We could track her scent,” James says finally

Aaron laughs.

“You gave her your scent, you dumbass.”

I feel myself wanting to make another dive for him.

I feel James’s hand come down on my shoulder.

We all turn to the sound of the front door opening, and our eyes fall upon Colt, who
has returned in fresh clothes.

“Aaron,” his eyes glare at him.

“What the fuck did you do?”

“Why does everyone always assume it’s me?” he shoots, taking a gulp of coffee

“Sam took off,” James explains.

“Aaron watched her leave and didn’t tell Ethan.”

“Now she’s out there with some insane asshole who tried to kill her!” I yell

“We can find her,” Colt says, patting my back

“I left my scent all over her,” I remind him as I rub the sides of my head

I hear Aaron laugh.

“Why is she so important?”

“If you have to ask that,” James tells him, “then you’ll never fucking know.” James
turns to me.

“Let’s go find her.” He begins digging his cell phone from his pocket.

“I’ll come with you.

The two of us might be able to find her faster.” He looks at me as I hear his phone
ringing from where I’m standing.

“I’m calling Trent and Eli.”

I nod and begin pacing the floor faster.

“Hurry up; she’s only got a few hours on us.”

“Go to your place, get a bag packed,” he says.

“Trent.”

I can only assume Trent has answered, but that doesn’t stop my rage.

“We have to go now!”

“Go fucking pack and meet me back here!” he orders

I storm off, slamming the door behind me

I pound my fists on my steering wheel as I pull out into the quiet street.

My mind is twisted with thought.

Red.

Elise in my dream.

The tree.

I’ve gone my entire life without anyone.

Why her? Why now? And, why did she just leave? I have a strong urge to pound the steering
wheel again, but I increase my speed to my house instead.

I take a few deep breaths in an attempt to calm myself.

I keep my eyes on the road and scan for any police that may be hidden as I slowly
move my speed up 10 miles per hour over the limit.

I watch the road and keep an eye out for pedestrians as I remember how I found Sam
on the side of the road, pushing a motorcycle four times as big as her.

I let out a slight laugh and shake my head.

After all these years I’ve spent alone, I hadn’t given one single thought to finding
a mate or even wanting to.

I never thought that a mate would find me.

It was always the furthest thing from my mind.

I’ve practically turned myself into a workaholic, and I filled every minute of my
spare time with building my house.

I do everything that it takes to fight my rage as the full moon approaches and to
control myself around others.

I never thought that this would happen…not to me anyway.

I take the turn and make my way down my dirt driveway where I stop in front of my
house

I leave my Jeep running and jump from it, then bound up the steps and through my front
door, leaving it wide open.

I take to my stairs inside, taking two at a time, and head up to my master bedroom.

I grab the first duffel bag that I can find and begin piling it with everything I
think I’ll need.

Clothes, phone charger, underwear.

I make sure to quickly unplug anything and lock up before rushing back to my waiting
Jeep.

James had better be ready to go by the time I get there.

I climb inside and buckle up before heading back down my driveway

I feel a sudden pang of hurt in my chest.

I can’t explain it, other than without her right now I feel incomplete.

It’s strange to think that one could become so attached to a complete stranger in
a matter of one night.

I shake my head.

The effect she has on me is simply incredible.

It’s strong, wild, and completely out of my character.

I lean forward and jam the buttons to my radio, looking for something to relax my
mind that is now moving too fast to comprehend.

The urge to find her is overpowering, but the fear of hurting her while in a rage
is overwhelming.

The two thoughts seem to cross my mind at the same time and collide.

I think about our night together.

That feeling she gave me that seemed to begin in my stomach and work its way throughout
my entire body.

The way her lips felt on mine.

I let out a long, drawn out sigh.

Finally, I come to a conclusion.

The power Red has over me is far greater than the fear of my rage ever hurting her.

The connection I got after only a few hours is too strong to let go.

It’s the ache in my back and bright light in my eyes that slowly brings me back to
consciousness.

By the time I do open my eyes, my head is pounding.

My body feels completely weak.

I can’t imagine why people voluntarily drink.

I rub the haze from my eyes and suddenly things become clearer.

Meeting Ethan in the woods, the cabin and the tree, and meeting his brothers.

Maggie.

I left.

But…I don’t remember stopping anywhere.

I make a slow attempt to sit up.

My head throbs in such a manner that when I glance forward I can see a steady pulse
in my vision.

I nearly slam back down on the somewhat soft surface before glaring around the battered
and disgusting old room

“Well, if Sleeping Beauty isn’t finally awake.” The voice is familiar.

I pray to turn and find Ethan, but I know who I’ll find.

I slowly move my head with teary eyes and find Josh

I almost can’t bear to look at him.

His innocent, boyish face and good looks are both a façade; this I know all too well.

You can see it plain as day in the deadness in his eyes, washed out and such a dull
brown that they remind me of the dead bark of a tree.

A tree…a simple tree that only brings my thoughts back to Ethan Parker.

Could it all have been a dream? Some crazy and elaborate fantasy created in my mind,
describing the kind of man that I wished I had in my life.

The differences between these two men are as stark as the difference between the glowing
full moon and the inky black sky

I give my head a shake as though to snap myself back to the hotel room.

I look at Josh again.

His golden blonde hair boasts an expensive stylist.

Hair so perfect and bright it only makes those empty eyes stand out to me, that dull
and lifeless brown that I have grown to hate.

The disdain is so blatant that it makes me cringe in such a way that I feel a tremble
travel the length of my body

This man has hurt me, so much that looking at him brings bile to the back of my throat.

His thin frame and 5’9” stature make him seem unimposing and friendly.

Lying deep past the boy-next-door meets boy-band-member looks is a physical power
and domineering persona that can bring me to my knees.

Literally

“And just where the fuck did you think you were going?” he says, kicking his feet
up on the dirty little table.

It’s then that I realize I’m in some run down motel with him

I grab my head in my hands.

My thoughts seem to be swimming too fast on top of the headache that is beginning
to grow stronger.

I can’t think straight.

Between my head and my heart, it just hurts

“Where in the fuck were you going, Samantha?” He screams so loudly my head feels as
though it may explode

I look up, sniffling.

“A ride.”

“A ride?” he asks.

“A ride that brought you all the way down to fucking Louisiana!”

The tears come on steadier now as I wipe at my face.

“I ran out of gas.” I see Josh through blurry eyes as he walks toward me.

I feel his hand wrap with ease around my wrist as he yanks me out of the bed

“You’re coming back home,” he says.

“Right now.”

He storms out of the dank, old motel room and straight to his brand new Chevy with
me in tow.

I feel myself being flung into the passenger seat of the truck.

He doesn’t bother stopping in to pay the bill as he storms out of the parking lot.

I hunker down in my seat, feeling the cold of the leather seats through my jeans enough
to make me shiver as I wait for the heat to kick in

“Whose shirt are you wearing?” Josh asks, anger spewing from his voice as he glares
at me from the corners of his eyes

I feel my heart rate increase.

Fear rises and fills my body from head-to-toe.

I swallow hard and think as quickly as my mind is capable at the moment.

I have to be sly.