He continued to take a few steps, despite the excruciating pain.
"Come on, honeycomb, I want you to be there with me," he said to Red.
She didn't look too pleased with the fact that he was back on his feet so soon, but Ruby had been held by One Eye for days now.
In the beginning, William and his pack only meant to be passing through Farrington. They were heading up north to meet with a few other members of his pack. Will decided to stop in the local tavern with a few of his men because he heard in the nearby town that her place served good meals. Then he saw her at the bar and instantly changed his mind. The wolves didn't care, most of them were unmated and they just needed some guidance. Once he learned that she was running the tavern with her grandmother, he kept coming back, always watching her using his glamour.
After a few days of sleeping rough, Jack reported that there was an abandoned house hidden deep in the forest. William decided to move in straight away. People believed that the house was haunted for years. Apparently the farmer that had owned it hung himself in one of the bedrooms. Will wanted to change his habits for Red, show her that he wasn't just some wild character, but at the time he was reluctant to stay in Farrington for long.
"The members of your pack travelled through the night, because they believed that you might be dead in the morning?" Red asked him when they were heading down the stairs. She kept looking back at him, like she wanted to make sure that he wasn't in any pain. He knew that she was never going to admit to him that she was petrified of losing him. He was used to stubborn women; he’d surrounded himself with them most of his life.
"Yes, it's tradition. I'm their king and wolves always gather if their alpha's life is at stake, no matter the circumstances," he explained.
It was going to be a bright and sunny day today. All his wolves were sitting around the fire, and Red looked a little taken aback by the number of men that were now in the camp. William knew that soon Farrington would be invaded by wolves from various packs, and people were going to notice.
"Welcome to Farrington, my brothers. As you’ve probably already noticed I survived the Iron Blade, and Ryll, the leader of the trolls, died last night," William said, as his pack rose up, seeing him approaching. He started introducing her to a few men who were most dear to him, but soon he began to realise that he wasn't going to get much time alone with her.
Last night, many of the werewolves must have sensed that he was drifting away, and most of them weren't ready to let him go. He had been their alpha for over eight years and it was a hell of an achievement.
"I should head back, the tavern has to be re-opened. My gran would want me to carry on as usual. She would tell me off if I were to take a day off because of her," Red told him when a few men indicated that they were waiting to talk to him.
"All right, just make sure you don't do anything silly. My men are already out looking for Ruby, and as soon as they locate her, I'll let you know what’s going on," William assured her. He was a little concerned that One Eye vanished as soon as Ryll failed to do what he promised. The highwayman was obviously waiting for something, and that's what was bothering him the most. His gut feeling told him that silence was never a good sign.
Early that afternoon Red went back to the tavern, worried about Ruby. One Eye had her for two days now and she wasn't sure where he was keeping her or what he was planning to do with her. She didn't want to worry about the tavern now or how she was going to pay her mortgage, but at the same time she couldn't just sit around the house waiting for William to show up. Last night for the first time in her life she was truly petrified of losing him, and then a miracle happened.
Today he had his own responsibilities, and she understood that other people relied on him.
She wasn't expecting him to rescue Ruby without getting her involved. William should’ve known well enough by now how much that would’ve pissed her off. The forest was calm today, and two nights ago she left Martha to close up. She had no idea what to expect this afternoon when she arrived. There was still a lot that needed to be done, and her cook wasn't due to work until this evening.
Red went home first, had a shower and grabbed some food. By the time she headed back to tavern it was late afternoon.
The silence around the building felt unnatural, and only now she was beginning to realise how much she was missing her gran. Normally Ruby was already looking through the window to see if Red was on her way. She imagined her opening the shutters and puttering around the front, trying to get everything done before opening.
When she approached the door, she saw that the local farmer had left groceries outside for tonight, and that made her a little sad again. No one in town apart from Martha knew that Ruby was taken away by that scumbag, One Eye. Red just didn't want to worry anyone or cause unnecessary panic. She was certain that she could bring her back. She was furious with herself that the confrontation with Ryll cost her almost a day.
Red went upstairs to make sure that everything was tidy up there. Something instantly felt off. The small space was a mess, everything was on the floor, books, clothes and bags of rubbish. Someone had obviously broken in looking for something. She felt a bunch of stones dropping down into her stomach making her nauseous. Red suspected that One Eye must have come back, hoping to rob her during her absence. Red ran downstairs to the bar, and checked her safe that was hidden under the floorboards, and she exhaled with relief when she found everything was untouched. She checked all the other entrances, and doors—they seemed fine too. She had no idea how One Eye had broken inside, unless someone let him in. Red didn't know what to think.
She ran behind the bar when a red envelope caught her eye. She picked it up with shaky hands and took out the letter.
Your grandmother will die tonight if I don't get a bag of gold coins by midnight.
Meet me on the outskirts of town and if you ever want to see your grandmother alive again, then you make sure that you don't get the alpha king involved. The second I see his wolves around, she's dead, so keep that in mind, Red Riding Hood.
One Eye.
Chapter Seventeen
Blood rushed to her ears when she realised she was on her own. One Eye must have suspected that soon enough he would be forced to leave, and he made one last attempt to make sure that he could get his hands on Red's gold. She wadded the letter tightly in her hands, breathing hard, wondering what to do. Her instinct told her to head straight to William, but the voice of reason reminded her of the highwayman's warning.
Ryll, One Eye's closest ally, was now dead, and what was left of his trolls had escaped. Most of his followers left too. The highwayman had nothing to lose, and a lot to gain. Red couldn't get William involved and risk Ruby's life.
It was her fault, she knew that she should have been taking better care of Gran. She was taken right in front of her, and Red didn't do enough to save her. She lost her head for William, and now she was paying the price. One Eye must have been keeping an eye on the tavern during the night, right after she left Martha in charge, then gone inside, trying to rob her, but failed to locate her safe. After the fiasco with Ryll he knew that he wasn't capable of fighting off the werewolves, and she wanted to assume that other businesses in town stopped paying him for their alleged protection too.
Red dragged her hand through her hair, trying to think logically about her limited options. William warned her not to do anything silly, but she felt trapped. She couldn't let him know that One Eye wanted her gold; it was too much of a risk. She just had to show up in the forest at midnight and swap gold for Ruby.
For a second, Red thought about asking Martha for help, then thought better of it. The town hooker was in love with Jack, and Red didn't think she could keep a secret. Her safe was almost empty. She only had some gold that she was keeping to cover the mortgage. One Eye didn't care that he ruined her business and that she wasn't earning much at all. He wanted the gold, and Red just had to improvise. She opened her small safe and took out everything she ha
d.
She knew how to fight, imagining his face when he lost everything. Her thoughts were racing as she sat down at the table. William was going to be busy tonight, and she knew he was still badly wounded, so he wouldn't be able to shift. Red had to do this on her own, no matter how much she hated going behind his back. He would be furious with her, but right now that didn't matter. She had to make sure that she used some kind of potion to cover her scent; otherwise he would sense her in the woods, and then send his men after her.
If One Eye recognised the scent of any werewolves near him, she knew that he would kill Ruby instantly. It was up to Red to make sure that everything went smoothly, knowing that she was risking everything tonight.
Red opened the tavern and was surprised that she had a lot more customers than usual. She worked hard, along with another waitress and a cook, to make sure everyone was happy. A few locals asked her about Ruby, then Mr. Ripley showed up unexpectedly. Red had to lie to him, telling him that her grandmother needed to leave town all of a sudden to tend to her sick cousin. The old man believed her. Red hated it, but couldn't afford anything to go wrong tonight.
People were talking about strangers arriving from everywhere, contemplating if they had anything to do with the highwaymen. Red didn't get involved with any conversation; she was keeping her head down, knowing that soon enough she would be reunited with Ruby.
Just before eleven p.m., the tavern started emptying out. Red paid the waitress extra and asked her to close it down for her at midnight. Inside, she was hoping that William was going to be busy enough, and he wouldn’t show up to surprise her. It had been a few hours, but she knew that he couldn't stay away from her for too long.
Her hands were shaking when she left the tavern around eleven p.m., carrying a lot of gold in her bag. Earlier on in her gran’s wardrobe upstairs, she found an old herbal recipe. She needed to cover her scent, and luckily she had everything that she needed to make the unpleasant drink.
William had told her he could sense her anywhere in the forest, and she didn't want to take any chances.
Her stomach was tight with worry when she moved through the thick forest in the pitch-black darkness, squeezing a knife in her hand. Red took several knives with her, but she wasn't planning to do anything until Ruby was safe. She made a turn to the left and then headed towards the north.
One Eye must have realised that William's wolves were arriving from other kingdoms. He couldn't get away with his lies. People figured out that he was behind all the robberies and kidnappings. Besides, King Caspian and Cindy were due to return any day, so that complicated things further.
Red walked for several miles, keeping away from manmade paths, just in case William's wolves were around. They couldn't sense her, and Red was hoping that the potion was doing its job. She knew that she was on her own, but she didn't think that One Eye would try anything. He was after her gold.
It took her another forty minutes to find the border to another kingdom. Soon she smelled burning wood and heard voices nearby. Highwaymen had been passing through Farrington in the past, but none had ever expressed any interest in staying for more than a night.
Caspian's reputation kept them away, and when he left, One Eye had obviously decided to try his luck. He would have succeeded if it weren’t for William. People were weak, and they were ready to believe his lies.
Red tried to keep calm, hearing some drunken singing in the distance. She suspected that One Eye was waiting for her, and she was really looking forward to smashing his head or at least trying to do so.
"Well, well, well, boys, I think I lost a bet. Red Riding Hood actually showed up to save her beloved grandmother," the loud voice said, startling her. "I hope you followed my instructions, and kept the alpha away."
"She's fucking him now," said another voice that she didn't recognise. She put her knife inside her pocket and straightened her back. Several men appeared from behind the trees. It was pitch-black and the wind was picking up. Red had her red cloak on, but she was cold. On top of that, it started drizzling a little. She finally saw One Eye to her right, leaning against a tree.
"Let's get on with it. I don't have time for your games. And before I hand you the gold, I want to see my grandmother first," she snapped at him. There were at least three other highwaymen with him. She had no idea what happened to the others or if he was keeping them nearby in case anything happened.
"Follow me, we need to get to my camp first. She's locked up," he barked and then vanished.
Red swallowed hard and followed them, being wary of her surroundings. Fear balled in her stomach—she kept telling herself that she just needed to stick to her plan. Five minutes later she found herself in a wide-open space where the forest was ending. There were a few carriages in the distance, and a fire was burning.
One Eye appeared again, stroking his chin. He smiled at her and his eyes fixated on her bag hanging around her shoulder.
"Leave the gold by the fire and then I’ll let the old lady go. It’s all very simple, Red," he told her, and started chewing something in his mouth. Red knew that most of his people had left him, and the remaining three had no idea how to fight. She just didn’t know if the highwaymen were keeping their distance in case something went wrong. She had to be ready for anything.
One Eye spit on the ground and took a few steps towards her.
"She's inside the carriage, locked up. One of my men is looking after her. He just needs a sign from me to release her. Come on, sweetheart. You're outnumbered, don't make me come get you," he told her.
Red was looking around and didn't like the way things were going already. Her heart was thumping loudly in her chest. She wanted to grip her knife and launch herself at One Eye, but she needed to make sure that he let her gran go first.
Then in the distance she heard the howling of a wolf and horror jolted through her. She glanced at the highwayman and he narrowed his eyes, taking something out of his pocket. Someone screamed, and then a second later Red tried to back away, but her feet had gotten tangled up in a rope that she didn't even see. She slammed on the ground, frantically trying to free herself, not understanding what was happening. The wolves weren't supposed to be there. She should have known that One Eye wasn't going to play fair.
Moments later, Robin grabbed her as she was trying to crawl away. He slapped her across the face and sat on her stomach. Red saw stars.
"Stupid whore. Do you think I would allow you to leave after what happened? I knew you would bring the wolves. Now I'm going to fuck your hot pussy in front of my men, taste what that wolf has had for a while now," she heard him say while she tried to push him off. She screamed, and he slapped her again. This time she tasted blood in her mouth.
"Get off me, you scum!" she roared, hearing the other highwaymen laughing. She hoped that William or his wolves were nearby.
One Eye started ripping her cloak, holding her wrists above her head. Red was ready to rip his throat out with her own teeth, but another punch shattered her vision. Pain spread over her face.
"I will fuck your hole, so you will remember me forever. After that the wolf man won't even touch you!" One Eye snarled, letting go of her hands when he was fighting with his belt. Red felt his hard erection and thought that she was going to vomit. He kept hitting her, until she had no strength left in her.
She lost consciousness for a split second, then came to and realised he was going to rape her either way. Besides that, he looked furious and his weight was squashing her. He spread her legs and started moving her dress up, running his rough hands over her thighs.
Red finally managed to grip the knife that she kept hidden behind her. Her cheek throbbed with pain. Blood was pouring out of her nose.
One Eye was panting heavily with excitement, almost done with his belt. She gritted her teeth, thinking that she only had one chance to get out of there, and she needed to focus on her inner strength and abilities. When he started hovering his hand closer to the spot between her legs, that onl
y William was allowed to touch, something snapped inside of her. She swung the knife and managed to stab him in his healthy eye.
Seconds later, One Eye roared out in agony and fell behind her. Red didn't waste any time after that. She jumped back to her feet and started running in the opposite direction, her face numb with pain. She knew that for now she had to leave Ruby behind.
Her breathing was laboured, and blood mixed with sweat was pouring down her face. She couldn't see where she was going, and kept stumbling over tree roots that were protruding from the ground. One Eye and his people were still after her, she heard them nearby, but couldn't hear his screams any longer.
She stopped for a second, panting for air, and trying to cover the exposed parts of her body. One Eye had ripped her dress and parts of it were hanging off of her. She thought about William, but then remembered that she covered her scent, so he couldn't sense her.
She started running again, thinking about her poor gran. She had to leave her behind and she truly hoped that Ruby was all right. Red needed to lose the highwaymen, and she knew that she must have hurt their leader badly, disabling him completely.
She didn't notice the drop right in front of her, and tripped, rolling down. Blackness obscured her vision, and she passed out.
Sometime later, she woke up in even more pain. She was disorientated and her head was spinning.
Then she heard movement behind her, and two pair of hands grabbed her. She recognised his smell, realising that somehow he’d found her. She must have been out for quite some time. Her knife was still in the highwayman’s eye, and her stomach dropped.
"Now, whore, I'm going to fucking kill you, so you can join your grandmother too!" he snarled, punching her again. "But first I'm going to finish what I started. That pussy is going to taste good."
She tried to crawl away again, but he laughed. She had no idea how he could see what was going on, when his other eye was supposed to be damaged too. Blood kept pouring from his face when he dropped his pants.
Alpha King: Red Riding Hood Page 13