Red Read online

  * * * *

  Thunder sounded like an explosion outside. I lifted my head from Marco's chest, my heart beating frantically as I looked around. The room was completely dark and my night vision would take a few seconds to kick in.

  Marco must have sensed my panic, because he wrapped both arms around me and kissed the top of my head.

  "What time is it?” I asked with a trace of panic still in my voice.

  He pushed up to a sitting position against the pillows and I slid to his side while he checked the clock on the table. “It's ten minutes past four."

  That explained the noise, Alistair was right on time. The wind howled like a demon, rattling the windows.

  "I'll light some candles,” he said. His voice was rougher after having just awakened, and I liked it.

  As my night vision started to kick in, the room gradually came into focus. My eyes needed less time to adjust than the average person's, but they still needed time. Marco retrieved one of those long lighters from the small chest of drawers he was using as a bedside table.

  While he lit the candles around the room I began to appreciate how wonderful Marco looked in the candlelight. He sat a large candle on a glass plate in the middle of the floor and lit the four wicks across the top. As usual, I couldn't seem to take my eyes from him. I watched as the candlelight cast shadows over the curves and valleys of his muscular torso. He looked up at me just then and the way the light reflected in his eyes made them almost appear to glow. Yet again, I could hear Kat telling me that I was most likely out of my mind. Any other time I would have jumped him, but all I could think was if he would come back to bed I might possibly get some really good sleep.

  Marco stretched back out on the bed and reached for me. I suddenly had the urge to touch as much of his skin to mine as possible. The desire I had was strange to me, yet somehow seemed natural. I unbuttoned the pajama top I was wearing and let it fall open as I leaned over Marco. He smiled at me and seemed to understand that what I felt was not sexual. I supposed it was like he had explained to me earlier, just a natural desire to be close. As I lay back across him, Marco wrapped me in his arms and sighed. His stomach was so warm that it seemed to burn against mine. I pressed my face back into the curve of his throat and drifted off to sleep.

  * * * *

  Over the next few hours I got the most restful sleep of my life. I had never known such a deep sleep was possible. Sometime in the night I had rolled to my side. When I woke up I was topless with Marco pressed against my bare back. The storm could still be heard outside and although the windows rattled less fiercely, the power was still out. My bra was still on, but when I stretched I noticed that Marco's hand was cupped underneath my right breast. I decided not to complain. He had truly been on his best behavior. After all, you can't expect a wolf to wear sheep's clothing forever.

  * * * *

  My first conscious thought many hours later was that I was cold. The power was back on and the air conditioner was working overtime. I rolled over and found myself alone, but the covers were still warm where Marco had been. He hadn't been gone long. Just then, I heard the toilet flush and knew where he was. I slipped the pajama top back on and snuggled face down into the pillows. When I heard Marco step back into the room, I decided to pretend I was asleep.

  My body moved slightly as he crawled up the bed. Marco leaned over me, so close that I felt the heat from his body, but without actually touching me. I tensed, waiting for him to make a move, but he just sort of hovered there.

  The second I let my guard down, he pounced and bit my ear. I squealed, but not in pain. He rolled me over a few times laughing.

  "I knew you weren't asleep,” he said.

  "What time is it?"

  "You keep asking that. Is there somewhere you need to be?"

  "Not really, but I can't stay here."

  He held me tighter, “Why?"

  "Because I can't Marco. Don't be dense."

  "Oh sure, I'm good enough to make a teddy bear out of last night, but once the storm passes you insult me."

  "It's not like that."

  "Isn't it?"

  I didn't know what to say. The tone of his voice was teasing, but his eyes were serious. I didn't want to hurt Marco, but once the storm passed, I really did need to go. What if Alfred had been trying to contact me? Or what if Kat and Elijah had been calling me?

  "What am I supposed to tell people if they've been trying to reach me?"

  "Most likely anyone who would try to reach you is out of power. So, I really wouldn't worry about that."

  "But what about Alfred?” I shouldn't have said that. As soon as the words had left my mouth, I regretted it.

  "He's a big boy. He can take care of himself, right?” Marco asked. But then, an expression of dawning reality began to spread over his features. “Unless ... he's not there."

  Marco growled and the hungry grin he gave me was only missing fangs. “Alfred's gone isn't he? It should have occurred to me before. With the hearing coming up next month he's probably off with Jacob, plotting something devious."

  I did my best to slither out of his embrace, but he held me tight.

  "I'm right aren't I?"

  I sagged miserably against his chest. “Yes."

  "Red, why didn't you tell me you were alone?"

  "Have you ever looked in the mirror when you ask questions like that?"

  He laughed. “Is it that bad?"

  "Frightening."

  "I'm sorry, but that does explain a lot."

  "Like what?"

  "Like how you weren't at all concerned about our conversation being interrupted on the porch the other day. I thought you wouldn't let me in because of Alfred.” He sighed. “Were you afraid that I would hurt you?"

  "No, I was afraid of what I might do to you, given the chance."

  The honesty in my response seemed to surprise him so much that he let me go.

  [Back to Table of Contents]

  Chapter Sixteen

  Marco informed me that according to the weather report storm conditions were still favorable to produce tornados so there was no point in getting dressed. I think he just liked the way I looked in his pajamas.

  When Marco suggested cooking breakfast I decided to be nice and go collect the ingredients. It was a relief to see he wasn't going to push the issue of Alfred's disappearance further. Plus, I was grateful he seemed to respect the fact that I did not believe in casual sex. Don't misunderstand me, if other people want to do it that's fine. I'm not their judge. It's just not something I've ever been able to do. I don't think you have to wait for the love of your life or anything. I certainly hadn't. But I believe that sex should mean something other than physical attraction.

  Unfortunately, I knew some of what sleeping with Marco would mean, or could potentially mean, and I wasn't ready for that. Of course, most of the pack thought we were sleeping together already, but that didn't matter to me. The people that mattered knew the truth. Rumors would always fly as long as idiots could give them wings.

  I had also been mulling over what Mathias had said about being careful who I loved. At first I had thought his warning might have been against Marco, but now I wasn't so sure. Mathias could see the future. He must have known the desires of Marco's heart. He knew what that canvas would show. So, why then would he reveal such a thing to the man he was warning me against? It just didn't make sense. I was obviously overlooking something.

  However, as I made my way to the kitchen downstairs, I no longer had the strength to think about it. Sleeping next to Marco had given me a sort of lethargy which carried over into the next day. I wasn't used to resting that way and couldn't seem to shake it. It had taken me until then to understand what a good night's sleep really felt like, and I liked it. I laughed to myself at the thought of inviting Marco over to spend the night if I ever had trouble sleeping. Of course, Alfred would never go along with that idea. It was purely a fantasy.

  The first floor of the club was filled with snoring w
erewolves, most of them in sleeping bags scattered out across the floor at odd angles. A few were resting with their heads propped on a table and the DJ that had been so drunk the night before was asleep with his head hanging through the railing on the floor above.

  As I made my way toward the door behind the bar that would lead me to the kitchen, I heard someone growl. I looked back around again at the sleeping werewolves and focused on the woman who had given me the dirty look the night before. She was a scrawny woman about my height, with long blond hair.

  "Bitch,” she snarled, taking a step closer.

  "Excuse me?” My heart beat faster in response. Adrenaline was definitely kicking in.

  "You think you can just come in here and take him away from us?"

  "What the hell are you talking about?"

  "Don't be stupid. His scent is all over you.” Her voice was rising, and a few of the other wolves were beginning to stir.

  "Look, I don't know what your problem is, but I just came down here to get to the kitchen. Perhaps you should seek therapy,” I sneered nastily.

  As I turned around she growled, “Come back here."

  That was it. I had tried to be nice, but my patience was gone. No one ordered me around.

  "I don't know who you think you are, bitch, but no one orders me around,” I growled.

  She snapped at me in response to my last comment.

  "You've got one chance to back down, and I'll leave you alive."

  "HA! You think you're all that?"

  "If you attack me, make sure that's what you meant to do, because if you take that step, there is no going back. Make no mistake, you will die."

  "And what is a human werewolf hunter going to do to me? You don't have any weapons,” she spat.

  More of the pack was awake by that time and they were beginning to gather around us.

  "You've obviously been misinformed."

  I took a deep breath and felt my heartbeat slow down. The world became crystal clear and I focused on the moment at hand. The woman in front of me had just made a very poor decision, but the choice had been hers to make.

  Before I'd had a moment to decide my best defense, she lunged at me with a deafening howl. I grabbed a handful of the front of her shirt and shoved my foot into her chest. As I dropped to my back, I flung her over me, kicking at the height of my throw and slamming her so hard into the front doors that they creaked under the pressure.

  The woman slid to the floor as I stalked toward her, extending the claws of my right hand. The rage I'd felt the previous night when she'd looked at Marco spilled over me and I slashed her across the face, causing sections of her smooth cheek to peel backward.

  "I'll kill you,” she screamed.

  But when she tried to stand up I bent my left arm back and slammed my elbow into the top of her skull, and something cracked. She never made it off the floor. About this time, Marco came to see what was taking me so long. He froze at the foot of the stairs.

  The woman fell limp to one side and I turned my attention to Marco as I retracted my claws.

  "I had no choice,” I explained.

  Luther stepped forward. “She's right. Amy attacked Lilith on her way to the kitchen."

  It was nice to have back up, but I hadn't asked for it. It made me wonder if Marco wouldn't have taken my word alone.

  "I gave her a choice.” I motioned back to where she lay. “This is the choice she made."

  "I see,” Marco finally responded.

  About that time, the before motionless Amy rose to her feet and ran at me, her mutilated cheek hanging back horribly from the bones of her face.

  "You goddamned bitch," she screamed, her voice deepening with the beginnings of the change.

  I grabbed a nearby chair and hit her with all of my strength across the face. The chair splintered and her neck flopped nauseatingly to one side. She hit the floor with a loud smack.

  You could have heard a pin drop as I turned back to Marco and said, “I'm sorry for killing one of your wolves, but she left me no choice."

  "I agree,” he said grimly, looking down at Amy's body.

  There was more I wanted to say to him, but it was not for the prying eyes that surrounded us to observe. I was truly sorry for what I'd been forced to do, but I wasn't about to let her kill me.

  Luther reached over me and I felt a sharp pain in my back. He held up a large bloody piece of glass and asked me, “Didn't you feel that?"

  "No,” I looked at the glass in amazement. “Thanks."

  "Don't mention it,” he said absently.

  My back felt warm and I knew that it was blood pouring from the wound. I looked around and saw I had fallen on a broken bottle. It must have been knocked from the table when she had lunged at me. Damn. It hurt, but I wasn't about to show weakness to that crowd.

  "You still hungry?” I asked Marco.

  He looked stunned, but nodded as he said, “I'll come with you."

  Luther gestured toward the body on the floor at our feet, “I'll take care of this."

  Marco and I walked through the door behind the bar and into the kitchen. What had become club Red had at one time been a small restaurant and still had a very nice kitchen, complete with a large freezer at the back. Without a word I walked all the way to the freezer before I let myself get upset.

  "Son of a bitch,” I slammed my fist into the stainless steel door.

  "Red, are you alright?” Marco snatched up my shirt and began to examine my back.

  "You mean other than the gaping wound in my back? Yeah, I'm fine,” I snapped.

  "There's more glass here,” he said.

  "Great."

  He went to a closet in the back of the room and took out a huge first aid kit.

  "Wait. Can you do this upstairs?"

  "Yes,” he paused looking confused.

  "Then let's go upstairs. The longer we spend down here, the more they'll think I'm having to depend on you to patch me up."

  He eyed me critically for a moment before putting the first aid kit back.

  "Are you sure you've never been around a wolf pack before? You certainly seem to know what others would take as weakness."

  "I'm just very self conscious. Now, let's get what we came for and walk back upstairs."

  We hurried and got the breakfast supplies that we'd come for in the first place. Whether or not we were going to eat remained to be seen, but I'd be damned if I let them think that some crazy shewolf had interrupted my plans. So, I was losing blood. I'd live.

  On our way back, I refused to let Marco support me at all, but didn't object when he said to at least let him carry the food. Once we were inside his office, my knees began to buckle. He dropped everything on the desk and nearly ran to me.

  "Damn it, Red. What's wrong with you?"

  "I landed on a broken bottle remember?"

  "You know that's not what I'm talking about. You're losing a lot of blood.” He scooped me up like I weighed nothing and carried me into his apartment.

  "You know, it's not a sign of weakness to let the alpha male take care of you. It's an honor not many are ever afforded."

  "I feel so special,” I smirked.

  Marco gave me a nasty look, but I could see the concern behind his dark eyes.

  A minute or so later, he put me down beside the tub and started striping the pajamas off of me.

  "What the hell?"

  "I've got to find all of the glass,” he said.

  I stood there topless while Marco fished several more pieces of glass out of my back and tossed them onto the countertop. Next, he tried to lead me to the shower.

  "Wait a minute, what are you doing?"

  "I need to clean the wound. The easiest and least painful way to do that is to rinse your back in the shower. Then I can stitch you up."

  "I need stitches?"

  "A few.” He took off his robe and flung it into a chair in the corner.

  "Marco, I am not getting in the shower naked with you."

  "Fine,
you want me to get in with my clothes on?"

  "I can wash the wound myself. Just stand by the door."

  He stared me down for a moment before agreeing. Once I stepped inside the shower and tried to bend over to slide the pants off, I found that it pulled the gash in my back and caused not only more bleeding, but intense pain.

  "Marco?"

  "Yes?"

  "Could you take my pants off, please?” I was utterly humiliated.

  "I'm sorry, did you actually ask for my help?"

  "Don't be an asshole now. I think I just ripped something else loose trying to undress myself. You can gloat later."

  Marco stepped inside the shower, reached around my back and removed my bra. He took hold of the pajamas at my waist and kneeled at my feet, sliding the silk pjs down with him. To my surprise, he didn't ogle me or make any obscene remarks, but he did watch while I turned on the water.

  "Just stand where the water can hit you. I'll get a towel."

  When he came back a few minutes later and stood on the other side of the half wall divider, I was beginning to feel dizzy. I didn't even care anymore that I was naked. I just wanted to lie back down.

  I walked to where Marco held the towel out for me and stepped into his arms.

  "It's just not right,” I griped.

  "What's that?"

  "You having to take care of me."

  "Get over it."

  He sat me on the side of the tub with the towel clasped to my chest, but my back exposed. In a minute he was back with an even bigger first aid kit than the one downstairs.

  "Do you keep those everywhere?"

  "You've obviously never spent time with a werewolf before."

  "What's that supposed to mean?"

  "Can you see me walking into an emergency room? First thing they'd want to do is blood work. Guess what? I've got a virus they've never heard of before. Holy shit, it's a werewolf,” he said.

  "Not that they could identify it that quickly, but I see what you mean."

  He pulled out a needle and thread.

  "You want this straight, or would you like something for pain?"

  "That depends. How many stitches do I need?"

  He looked at my back again before answering. “Several."