Little Red

by Trista Jaszczak

  I look at her and smash my lips unexpectedly into hers.

  She is mine.

  She sighs softly and happily kisses me back.

  I pull away reluctantly.

  “What do you say we go inside, relax, and have some real dinner together?”

  She gives me a happy nod as I usher her in the house.

  I send my own warning into the woods.

  Over my dead body

  In the weeks passing since Red was spied on, I feel like I am under a constant full moon.

  I find myself trying to be as vigilant as I can, which means in these past few weeks, I have lost more sleep than I ever have before in my entire life.

  James and Ian have volunteered their day off to be with Red who is putting on the bravest face that any of us has ever seen.

  I let out a sigh and reach for my coffee cup that to both my surprise and disappointment is bone dry

  “If you think you’re tired now, bro,” I hear Eli, “just you wait until these twins get here.”

  I let out a laugh.

  I had felt him, Colt, and Aaron coming before they even hit the parking lot to my shop

  “We thought you might need a little break to clear your mind,” Aaron tells me

  I let out another laugh.

  “I think I need more than a little bit.”

  Colt reaches out to pat my shoulder.

  Looking at the three of them, I can see it in their eyes just how exhausted they are as well.

  It’s apparent that I’m not the only one who is losing sleep over Red and the other pack

  “How is Red?” Colt questions

  I let out a breath.

  Red just hit 24 weeks and is officially more than halfway finished with the pregnancy, which means the twins are nearly due to arrive.

  If I thought I was at all nervous, it’s nothing compared to what Red is feeling at this time.

  “She’s tired, getting somewhat uncomfortable, both in pregnancy and with the other pack.

  The twins are pumping the curse into her now, but I swear she fights the rage better than any of us.”

  “Soon, the other pack will be all said and done,” Eli tells me

  “Are you up for a bite to eat?” Colt asks.

  “Get out of the shop and clear your mind for a bit.”

  I rub my eyes and let out another breath.

  “I could go for some food and some caffeine.”

  Eli laughs.

  “What you really need is some sleep.”

  I give him a nod as I unbutton my cover shirt and toss it on the back of my office chair.

  “It’s too damn hard to sleep, even when I’m exhausted.

  I just feel the need to watch over her.”

  “When this is all said and done,” Eli tells me, “somehow we will all look back on this and laugh.”

  We leave my shop as we start the walk a few blocks down to our favorite local diner.

  I let out a long sigh and glance down at my feet as I kick a small rock out of the way.

  Laughing at all of this, finding any humor in it period, sounds impossible.

  Even if it is ten years down the road.

  I glance over at Eli who has been carefully studying me.

  “I just don’t see how I could ever laugh at this.”

  “Well, then,” Colt starts, “look at it this way.

  This will be one hell of a story to tell your kids and grandkids.”

  I laugh slightly as we lazily walk around the slow street, and Colt gives me a good pat on the back.

  “It’ll all be alright.

  We’ve made it this far.

  Red is having twins; you’re going to be a daddy.

  It’ll all fall into place.”

  As the last words leave Colt’s lips I feel it: the Avery Pack, or some part of them at the very least.

  I snap my head to attention and begin glaring around.

  Colt, Aaron, and Eli have all followed my lead, and I can only guess that they have picked up on the same senses that I have.

  I begin to feel the rage starting to build up in the pit of my stomach, crawling through the rest of my body.

  I feel Eli’s hand come down on my shoulder quickly, as he must sense my rage is far stronger than any of theirs

  “They’re here,” I grumble

  “And, they’re close,” Aaron adds

  Colt gives us a silent nod as we act natural and continue the short walk to the diner that’s no more than a thousand feet away from us

  “Just stay cool,” I hear Eli say.

  “They’re nowhere near Red, and we don’t want to give them a reason to try.”

  Hearing it put like that only makes me try to suck back and hold in every ounce of rage that my body is beginning to produce.

  I feel the rage starting to boil in my stomach as it’s trailing around my entire body.

  I fight the urge to yell, scream, or do anything that may draw attention to us.

  I try to let my thoughts wander to Red to calm myself.

  Now, I just can’t help but to wonder if I should make a break for our house just to check if she is alright and make sure that nothing has happened her

  I feel another hand come down on my other shoulder.

  This time I look to see Aaron glaring in every direction that he can.

  “Just keep cool,” he tells me, letting his eyes dart over by a group of trees near the diner.

  “She’s okay, but you need to keep calm.”

  I force myself to nod as we cross the parking lot to the diner.

  They want me to remain calm, because at this point, not only do we have no idea where the Averys are, but we also don’t know their plan.

  I feel a sudden headache come on as it starts in the center of my forehead and spreads to my temples.

  I let out an aggravated sigh.

  One wrong move could set the Avery Pack off on us.

  One wrong move from the Avery pack could set all of us off and end with me having blood on my hands.

  Meaning, I damn my brothers to the moon curse for the rest of our lives

  In the middle of my thought, I am caught completely off guard by Colt, who gives me a hard and sharp whack to the gut.

  That’s when I become alert and listen.

  Laughter

  “Well, well, well, if it isn’t the Brothers Grimm.” Jeb laughs

  Aaron, Colt, Eli, and I all turn quickly to see Jeb, with his bright red hair and freckled face, laughing.

  He’s not alone.

  The greasy haired blonde is in tow and is now smiling at us with his yellowing teeth

  “What the hell do you want?” I snap, only to receive dirty looks from Aaron, Colt, and Eli

  “You shouldn’t be here,” I hear Aaron say.

  “You’re crossing a serious line here with your actions.”

  I feel my rage beginning to burn as a hand come down on my tee shirt, balling a section into his fist and holding to me tightly.

  I can now feel Aaron, Colt, and Eli, as their rage is doing the slow build up in such a way that it’s feeding my own.

  I clench my teeth as hard as I can and squeeze my fists tightly shut

  Jeb and his brother begin laughing again as though Aaron’s words were some hilarious joke instead of the truth.

  Aaron and Colt do a quick exchange of glances as Eli takes a moment to tighten his grip on me

  The blonde’s eyes train on me as I feel my rage starting to take over.

  “She’s yours, isn’t she?” he taunts

  My eyes snap up to meet his, and I feel a deep growl release from the pit of my throat

  “Oh, she is, isn’t she?” The blonde one laughs again

  Eli tugs me back as hard as he can.

  “You’ll keep her out of this,” he snaps
/>
  Jeb begins to laugh.

  “I’d keep my mouth shut if I were you,” he warns Eli.

  “We know all about your little pet, and we know exactly where she is.”

  Eli’s rage washes completely over him as I feel him pull my shirt in such a fashion that he may very well choke me to death.

  Suddenly, a deep growl that I’ve never heard before comes from Eli

  “You don’t have any damn idea what you’re asking for,” Aaron warns.

  “We will rip you to pieces.”

  “Aww.” Jeb laughs.

  “Do you boys have a little soft spot for your two pretty little pets? I mean, do y’all share the two?” Jeb’s eyes lock with mine.

  “Who knocked yours up? Josh? Or your brother he shot? Oh yeah, James.”

  I hear Aaron growl as all four of us are close to losing control.

  Even levelheaded Eli is beginning to struggle more as I fight to free myself to get to the blonde one

  The blonde one trains his eyes on me.

  “That pretty knocked up pet of yours,” he hisses, “just you wait until I get my hands on her.”

  That’s all I can take as I look at the big picture.

  He was the one who was watching Red while she was sunbathing.

  He was the one who was watching Red and me on the porch swing.

  He is the one who wants my Red.

  I lunge forward only to be stopped by Eli and Colt.

  Jeb and the blonde one have now turned their heads up and into a wicked fit of laughter.

  As they laugh, they slowly turn their backs to us and walk away

  “You’ll watch those backs, if you know what’s good for you!” I hear Aaron scream out of both anger and frustration

  This was their plan, their intention.

  They want us in rage; they want us to go completely crazy.

  I feel Eli tug me back again, even though I hadn’t even realized that I was still struggling to go after the Averys

  “Don’t do it, Ethan! Don’t you do it!” I hear Eli, who is having a hard time fighting his own rage but also has to help me out of mine.

  “No, Ethan.” I hear his voice in my ear.

  “I will not let you do this.”

  I move my eyes over to Aaron and Colt, who are both working themselves into a calm state.

  They both briefly lock eyes with mine and give me a nod

  “You are going to have twins, Ethan!” I hear Eli yell into my ear as Colt has now joined him in his efforts to control my rage.

  “Twins! Red! She could be your wife.

  Your wife, Ethan.

  You need to snap it together and look at what is right in front of you.

  Everything that is right and perfect, everything that we thought that we didn’t have a right to ever have, is right in front of you, Ethan.

  It’s right in your grasp, and I will not let you piss it away because of some hicks.

  You have got to get your head out of your ass long enough to see it, Ethan.

  Open your eyes and look.

  Think of Red and think of your twins.

  She’s pregnant, Ethan.

  You’ve got to get your head out of your ass long enough to see it, or else your chance at a happily ever after will slip away.” He takes a breath as he gives me a shake to make sure I’m somewhat coherent.

  “If it slips away, Ethan, you will be more broken than you ever have been in your life.

  You aren’t the only one who has something to lose, bro, but you stand the chance to lose the most if you don’t pull yourself together.”

  Red, the babies, my babies, my Red.

  Thoughts zoom through my mind as I try to use reason to combat my rage.

  Old folklore states that I can’t have any blood on my hands when I touch my first-born child.

  I have to be the first to touch an innocent life, while having lived an innocent life.

  Killing any one of the Averys would mean I not only damn my brothers to the curse, but my own two children as well.

  I take my thoughts back to Red.

  My Red, my beautiful Red that even while I’m in rage, seems to outshine and make it fade.

  The woman that I am falling in love with, the woman that is carrying my twins.

  I have to fight the rage for her.

  Eli is right; if there was anything that could break me in life it would be the loss of Red and my twins

  I feel Eli give me another tug back.

  He’s fighting his own rage.

  They’ve seen Maggie and know where she is.

  I can feel the rage coursing through his body.

  During the time he spent trying to calm me; he’s lost himself to the rage

  “Eli,” I try to tug away from him, only to be held back as he holds to me tighter.

  “Eli!” I call out

  Aaron joins me in the efforts to control Eli, as he’s pulling so hard that the collar of my tee shirt is beginning to choke me.

  I feel Aaron pry Eli’s hands away as he snaps somewhat back to our reality

  He releases a growl.

  “Keep me away from them.

  If they lay one hair on Maggie or Red’s head, I’ll kill them myself.”

  I let out a deep breath as I rub the sore part of my neck a moment.

  It’s really bad when Eli has a difficult time controlling his rage

  Colt steps in and places a hand on Eli’s shoulder.

  “They don’t want Maggie.

  They’re using her as a decoy,” he says.

  “I can sense that.

  They want us crazy.

  They want us in rage so that we’re unable to protect Red.

  The blonde one,” he glances at me, and I give him a nod to show him that I understand.

  “He’s the one that wants Red.”

  Aaron nods in agreement.

  “They’re going to try to use everything they can against us to make us slip up.”

  “Then we can’t slip up,” I say immediately as I run a hand down my face

  Eli finally lets out a groan.

  “Screw this peace shit; if they try to start something, Colt, we will fight back.”

  My eyes move to Colt and then to Aaron.

  Aaron is quick to nod as Colt seems to think things over

  “They obviously want Red, and they’re out to start trouble,” he says.

  “I was too stupid to see that they were out for trouble in the very beginning.” He takes a breath and finally nods.

  “We won’t back down, but for now you keep your cool.

  We need level heads to protect Red.”

  To protect Red, I repeat the phrase over in my head.

  That is the most important thing right now…Red, and our children

  I can’t even begin to express my exhaustion.

  Everyone’s exhaustion.

  Ethan is on edge so much, so often, that there are times I just leave him alone and lounge around the house by myself.

  Aaron, Colt, Trent, Eli, James, and Ian are even worse off.

  They feed not only from the other pack, but from Ethan as well.

  Right now, I am feeding from every direction.

  As if pregnancy hormones aren’t bad enough, the moon gets to try to drive me insane too

  These past few months have been excruciating.

  We all thought that by now the other pack would have turned around, given up, and headed back to Kentucky.

  But, they’re still here.

  Still waiting and still hunting.

  And I’m the first on their list

  At thirty-five weeks pregnant, my belly is quite large.

  Well, large to me, but everyone else seems to think it’s the cutest little bump they have ever seen.

  I stare at the calendar. />
  Today’s date has been circled with 4:00 p.m.

  scribbled by me.

  It’s my check up with Maggie.

  Ethan is working on a Chevelle restoration, and Ian has been instructed to escort me to the doctor.

  I haven’t had a moment’s peace in weeks.

  I’m rarely in a room alone for more than ten minutes.

  With Ethan and all of his brothers so jittery, it is driving me completely up the wall and out of my mind.

  I feel way too close to snapping as Ian hovers over me

  “Ian,” I say, turning to face him.

  “Why don’t I just go to the doctor by myself?”

  He immediately shakes his head, making his messy hair shake.

  “Ethan would kill me.”

  “Ethan doesn’t have to know,” I remind him

  He shakes his head again.

  “It’s not safe, Red,” he tells me

  “Ian, if I don’t get out of this house away from you men, I’m going to lose my mind!” I find myself yelling.

  “Between you guys, this other bunch of lunatics, and the babies, I feel like I’m going to snap,” I wail.

  “I can’t even finish peeing without one of you banging on the door! I just need peace, Ian.

  For one hour.” I stare at him.

  “All Maggie is going to do is stick her hand in a place that you don’t want to see right now.”

  “Do you realize what Ethan would do to any of us…if I…let you walk out that door alone right now?” Ian asks, shifting nervously on his feet

  “Ian, if I don’t get some time alone I’m going to start hacking body parts off you men, starting with the brother who is front of me right now!”

  “I really understand how you feel,” he says.

  “We’ve been on you for weeks.”

  I give him a nod and sigh.

  “This rage, the moon, feeling like this…Ian, I need some peace before I really do lose it.”

  “Ethan would die if anything happens,” he says.

  “We all would.”

  “Nothing will happen,” I tell him.

  “It’s been a week since you’ve really picked up on their trail, and it’s broad daylight at a gynecologist’s office.”

  He finally nods.

  “Fine.

  You’ll go there, have your check up, and come right back here.

  Do not take your time.”

  I nod and lean in to hug him.