Little Red

by Trista Jaszczak

“Thank you, Ian.

  I really do need this.”

  I grab my purse and slink out the door and to the Jeep.

  Just walking out of the house without one of the boys in tow is a nice change of pace right now.

  I love them all, but sometimes, enough is enough

  * * * * * *

  The drive to Maggie’s office is rather short.

  It’s a small town, and everything is clumped together.

  It’s quiet and kind of relaxing.

  The weather is changing again and readying for the fall, so a cooler breeze whips through the air.

  I’ll have to remind myself to do something nice for Ian.

  I really owe him for this

  As I pull into the parking lot, there are only the usual few cars.

  A handful belonging to Maggie and her staff, and the others are more than likely patients waiting on their appointments.

  I climb from the Jeep and shove the keys into my pocket before reaching in and grabbing my bag

  “Why,” I hear the male voice behind me, “if it isn’t Little Red Riding Hood.” I feel the hand clamp down hard on my mouth.

  “I wouldn’t scream if I were you,” he says into my ear.

  “My boys are right outside of your little honey’s shop.

  If you make one wrong move, they tear out his throat.”

  I freeze.

  How could I have been so completely stupid? What was I thinking? Of course they were still watching us.

  Their scent was probably masked in some way after being here a while.

  I feel a few tears slide down my cheeks as my attacker walks me to a rather large and beat up truck.

  He flings me inside without care, and I crumple into the seat

  “I told them I would have you.” He growls as I feel his hand clamp down hard on my knee

  I push myself against the door and as far away from him as I possibly can as tears poke and prod at my eyes.

  I take a breath as he glares over at me.

  He’s larger than me, but smaller than Ethan.

  His blonde hair is slicked back and dirty looking and his beard is rough looking.

  He gives me a menacing smile; he’s pleased with himself.

  He has me

  “You are just a pretty little thing.” He laughs

  I feel tears begin rolling down my face as the twins give me a few large kicks.

  I grab onto my belly and hold onto it, as though I’m holding the twins themselves

  “Oh, don’t you worry,” he says.

  “It’ll only hurt for a little bit.”

  I begin sobbing as his hand clamps down harder, as though to hold me in place.

  My head is beginning to ache, my nausea is taking over, and my mind is whirling

  “Please, don’t do this,” I beg

  His hand flies from my knee and his knuckles snap hard against my nose.

  I cry out in pain as I feel blood starting to trickle down.

  I bring my hands up and cup them around my now throbbing nose

  “You’re so pretty; it’s a shame to mess up your face.” He laughs as I feel his knuckles rub my cheek

  I feel my body tremble as I jerk away from his touch

  He laughs again, this time in such a way that I have to fight myself not to throw up.

  I know exactly what he wants.

  My tiny and pregnant body doesn’t stand a chance at fighting him.

  I drop my head, and my wails begin as the blonde man only laughs

  He immediately drags me to a place that I recognize; the cabin where Ethan and I first… I can’t control it.

  I sob harder as he yanks my body from the truck and drags me up the steps.

  My stomach tosses, and I can feel the twins trying to give me reassuring kicks.

  My sobs quickly turn to wails as he shoves me into one of the walls.

  I let out a yelp as he laughs again

  “You are mine now,” he hisses

  I let out another scream as his large hands bear down on my shoulders.

  He uses all his strength to push me harder against the wall.

  My back begins to ache as I feebly try to push against him.

  I feel his bad breath on my face as he leans in.

  I turn my head quickly enough for his lips to miss, but I’m greeted with a hard blow to the face that sends my mind whirling.

  I feel a hand move and tighten around my throat as his lips finally smash to mine.

  I cry out in pain as I give him another push, but I’m greeted with another dizzying blow to the face.

  I quickly feel relief as his body is pulled from mine, and I can’t tell if it’s real or I’m slowly slipping from reality and passing out.

  I look up in time to see Colt yanking him away.

  I slide to the ground where my shaking hands find my belly.

  I’m quickly rewarded with a few hard kicks as I lay completely on the floor.

  My neck hurts, my cheeks and nose are throbbing, my headache is constant, and I fight my body not to throw up

  Colt delivers one last punch to my attacker’s already bloody face.

  “You tell your Alpha, that’s from the Parker pack.”

  Colt rushes over to me.

  I breathe his name as he scoops me into his arms to hold me.

  “I’ve got to get you to the hospital.”

  “No,” I cry, “I just want to go home.”

  “Red, you need to be checked.”

  I shake my head.

  “I can feel the twins moving.

  Please, Colt.

  I just need to go home.” I weep

  “You’ll be sorry for this.” We both turn to see the blonde man’s bloody face.

  His lips are curling up and into a twisted grin

  Colt nods toward me.

  “You’ll be sorry for this,” he warns as the blonde man retreats to the front door of the cabin

  Colt takes my face in his hands.

  “Oh, Red.” His touch is unsure and shaky as I sniffle.

  “You really feel the twins, right? You would tell me.”

  I nod, and take his hand and place it on my belly.

  The twins wiggle and jolt, giving his palm the answer

  I hear him sigh as I look up at him with tear-filled eyes.

  “Red.” He shakes his head.

  “Ethan...” He stops

  Ethan.

  How could I have not thought about Ethan? My mouth drops, and I taste my own blood running into my mouth

  Colt is quick to pick up on my worry.

  He shakes his head.

  “No, no, Ethan is just fine.

  He’s perfectly fine.

  No one got to him,” he says as he moves to pull off one of his layered tee shirts.

  He balls it up and holds it to my nose to stop the bleeding.

  “Hold this here.”

  I give him a nod as he lifts me off the ground and into his arms with ease.

  He carries me to the door where he pauses for a moment, and I assume he’s “feeling” for my attacker.

  After a moment, he gives me a nod and carries me to his truck where he sits me tenderly on the seat

  “Keep holding that to your nose,” he tells me

  I nod and lie over in the seat as he shuts my door and climbs into his own seat.

  I look up at him.

  “Ethan...” I stop

  “It’s okay.

  He’ll just be happy that you’re alive, Red.

  That the twins are alright.”

  I nod as he begins driving.

  He’s lying.

  I’ve been lied to enough in my life to recognize that.

  Ethan is losing his mind.

  He’s furious

  I fight myself to
stay under control.

  I feel the rage creep up inside of me as I look at Ian.

  Fucking Ian! I’d received a phone call earlier from Maggie.

  She was letting me know that Red had missed her appointment and was wondering if she was alright.

  I phoned Ian to find out he’d let her go alone.

  Now, she’s missing.

  We’ve been searching for hours and agreed to meet at my house before dark.

  We all came in with no trace of her.

  Except Colt, who was now missing, too

  I glare at Ian as Aaron and James hold me back.

  “Are you fucking stupid?” I scream.

  “What the fuck is wrong with you, Ian?”

  Ian looks down.

  “We were all driving her crazy.

  She is having it just as rough as we are.

  She said she needed a minute.”

  “And a fucking minute is all it took for her to go missing!” I scream

  “Ethan,” Aaron tugs on me, “he was just trying to help her.”

  “No, no he wasn’t!” I yell.

  “She’s gone because of him!” I point my finger at him.

  “I swear to God, if anything happens to her or those babies, we’re done!”

  “You don’t mean that,” Aaron says

  “Yes!” I yell.

  “Yes I do!” I scream as Aaron and James both tighten their grips on me

  I stop for a moment, catching Colt’s unmistakable scent.

  Eli rushes to the door, flinging it open.

  There in Colt’s arms is a battered and bloody Red.

  She’s pushing something to her bloody nose, and I have to make myself look away

  “She’s okay.

  I found her at your cabin,” Colt says.

  “The blonde one had her.

  I think he was going to…” He immediately stops, and I glare at Ian

  “Do you see what you fucking caused?” I look at Red again, who Colt is now tucking into a spot on the couch.

  Her neck and cheeks all show signs of bruising, and her nose has been bleeding so much that her hands are bloody.

  “And you, are you stupid?” I yell at Red.

  “Everything that we have done until this point has been to keep you and those babies safe!” I scream.

  Tears begin rolling freely down her cheeks, but I can’t stop.

  “Had Colt not found you, he could have raped you! You do get that, right? He was going to rape you!” Her tears turn into sobs as she breaks down on the couch.

  “He could have raped you and hurt our children, because you two,” I let my finger slide between her and Ian, “just made the dumbest decision ever.” I pull away from Aaron and James to pace the floor.

  “Seriously, Red, what the fuck were you thinking?”

  “Ethan!” James yells.

  “Enough! Enough is fucking enough, Ethan!” He walks to Red, who is now crying in such a manner she’s gasping for air.

  “You go upstairs, honey.

  Pack a bag.

  You’ll come with Trent and me.

  Keep that shirt on your nose; try to get the bleeding to slow.” He looks up to Aaron.

  “Aaron, go with her and help her.” Aaron nods as they both help her from the couch, and Aaron guides her up the steps.

  “Ian, you too.” His eyes turn on me.

  “I get that you’re fucking pissed.

  I get what it feels like! I even get what it reminds you of! But, I will not let you fucking talk to her like that, ever!”

  I feel my mouth drop.

  I can now hear Red from all the way upstairs.

  What have I done? The moment I should have been excited to see her, thankful she was alive, asking if she was alright…instead, I do this.

  I drop my head

  “That’s what I fucking thought.” James growls.

  “Did it just dawn on you that you just treated the woman who is carrying your children like shit?” He gives a slight laugh.

  “Well, your ass can sit here and cool down.

  Alone.

  She’ll be with us.”

  I watch as Ian, James, Trent, and Red all walk out of the front door.

  I can hear her sobs, but her eyes never meet mine

  “You’re a fucking asshole,” I hear Aaron yell

  Eli steps in front of him.

  “Calm down; both of you.” He glares at me.

  “She’s a little battered, but she’s safe.

  Now thanks to you, she’s not even in your home, Ethan.”

  I feel my head drop lower as it settles on me what I’ve done

  “Yeah, you need to feel bad, you fucking asshole,” Eli growls

  “I...”

  Aaron is quick to cut me off.

  “Don’t even fucking speak.

  I get being pissed at Ian.

  Fine.

  So be it.

  But, Red?” he says.

  “Do you realize what you’ve done?” He shakes his head.

  “The woman that you’re so desperately in love with just walked out of this house, and couldn’t even look at you.”

  “Did you even stop to check on her?” Colt adds

  “I was just scared,” I finally stammer.

  “I couldn’t help it.”

  “Well, you not being able to help yourself has made Red go hysterical,” Aaron says.

  “I can only imagine what she’s putting Ian, James, and Trent through.”

  “You don’t understand what I thought of!” I yell

  “Don’t understand?” I hear Eli say.

  “If I remember, we pushed you home.

  You didn’t have to see her like that,” he says.

  “And, here’s one.

  What would Elise say about you treating the mother of her nephews that way?”

  I let my mouth hang open as I just sit on the floor.

  I can barely look at them.

  It’s no use trying, so I just let it go.

  I feel the tears openly roll down my face.

  I wait for their laughter, but instead I feel them take a seat next to me

  “I didn’t mean,” I start.

  “I would never want to hurt her, or Ian.”

  “Yeah,” Aaron says.

  “Well, you did.”

  “Ian will be fine,” Eli says.

  “He understands what we’re all feeling right now.

  The full moon is coming.

  It’s Red I’m worried about.

  Being pregnant is hard enough.

  She’s not used to fighting the curse like we are, and it’s only getting worse as the twins grow.”

  “I have to go over there,” I say

  Aaron shakes his head.

  “James will never let you through the door.”

  I drop my head again.

  If there has ever been one thing in my life that I am sure of, it’s been Red.

  My one goal was to love and protect her and the twins.

  I vowed to control my own rage and put them before anything else.

  How could I have let my rage get the better of me? How could I have messed up this badly?

  My tears keep pouring, even though I fight with myself to stop.

  I lean back into James’ couch as I press Colt’s shirt to my nose.

  Ian tries to make me drink a glass of water that I brush off as I sniffle a bad mixture of snot, tears, and blood

  “Honey, I called Maggie,” James tells me.

  “She’s just going to peek at you.”

  I give him a nod as he moves my hand with the shirt and has a look at my nose.

  He shakes his head.

  “The bleeding is slowing at least.”

  The knock at the door makes me ju
mp, and Ian is quick to ease me.

  “It’s just Maggie,” he says softly

  James greets her at the door, and she rushes in to give me a pitiful look.

  She kneels in front of me and gives my knee a pat.

  “How are you feeling?”

  I shrug; I really don’t know how to explain how I feel.

  My thoughts are going too fast to comprehend anymore.

  This is all my fault.

  With the full moon coming and the guys being on edge so much, I’d just needed a break, some little peace just to relax on my own.

  How could I have been so foolish?

  “Are you feeling those babies?” she asks

  I give her a nod.

  “Just as strong as usual,” I say, wiping Colt’s shirt over my bloody nose

  Maggie takes a moment to move it and inspect my battered nose.

  “I don’t think it’s broken, but it’s certainly going to be sore.”

  I give her another nod

  She gives me a slight smile.

  “How about we at least do your favorite thing and listen to those two wee ones in that adorable belly of yours?”

  I feel my tears begin to subside.

  “Really?”

  She nods as she pulls out a familiar box and wand.

  “I brought the Doppler with me.”

  I finally smile and nod

  “Good.

  Just lay back here on the couch,” she says, helping me slowly adjust

  “Honey, you want us to step out of the room?” James asks

  I shake my head.

  “No, stay and listen.

  Ethan really loves this part,” I tell him, feeling my heart sink a little.

  Ethan.

  Ethan was so furious he could hardly look at me.

  I sigh as I feel Maggie pushing up my long sleeve tee shirt and rolling the band to my maternity jeans down to expose my belly

  She grins wide.

  “You’re beautiful pregnant; quite the adorable belly,” she says, giving it a tender pat

  I smile.

  “You’ll be just as beautiful.”

  She gives me another bright smile, and I see the excitement in her eyes.

  If Ethan controls himself, she and Eli will get what they have always wanted…a child.

  She squeezes a little gel onto my belly and powers up the Doppler.

  She wiggles the wand over the gel and begins working it slowly over my belly when I hear the unmistakable noise of my twins’ heartbeats.

  Ian, James, and Trent soften