Blood Red (23 page)

Vivi Anna

continued to rock on top of Wolf, faster now. Red glanced back at Wolf. His eyes were closed and he had released her arm. Did she imagine it? Was she going mad? Or could she take his warning as the truth?

She could not risk it if it was the truth. Red jumped up and unsheathed her knives from behind her back.

She charged toward Morgana, hands raised to attack.

Morgana waved a hand toward Red. She felt a tremendous force pushing back on her. Red tried to fight, but it was useless. She could not get near. She couldn’t even move. She was suspended in mid air, her arms raised up and to the sides.

She watched in horror, as Morgana reached her plateau. She screamed out. It was a shrill sound, and made Red’s ears ache. She glanced down at Wolf. His face was grimacing as if in pain. His pelvis pushed up. He had also reached release.

Morgana leaned forward over Wolf. She covered his body with her own. She pressed her lips to his. He was comatose.

“My little wolf. Finally I have you.”

Red struggled against her invisible captor. It was futile. She was held firmly by an unseen force.

Morgana raised herself off of Wolf’s body. She slunk to where Red stood immobile. She smiled.

“Thank you for helping me trap The Wolf. I have been hunting him for some time. Three moon-turns ago, he thwarted my attempt to sacrifice three children to my Dark Lord. Triplets they were, a rare thing these days. So beautiful, so innocent. Of course, he could not protect them forever.”

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Blood Red

“You filthy deceiver! You lying witch!”

Morgana laughed. She trailed a finger over Red’s
mouth. “You allowed yourself to be deceived, little one. The
little Red Riding-Hood I heard of would never have
dropped her guard. Not for the life of a man. And especially
not this one.” She gestured absently to Wolf’s lifeless form.

She continued her path down Red’s neck over her shoulders and down to her breasts. She circled the material of her shirt slowly, teasingly over Red’s nipples. They hardened, responding to the intimate touch. Red shuddered.

“I think maybe he touched you somewhere inside.

Got into you somehow. Softened your resolve.” Her hand continued down. She rubbed it over the crotch of Red’s pants. “Did he enter you here, little one?

Pierced your heart from the inside out.”

“No matter how long it takes or what I must do, I’m going to kill you.” Red’s voice was calm and even.

She stared straight into Morgana’s dark empty eyes.

Morgana’s smile faded. She lifted her hand to Red’s throat and closed it tightly. “I don’t think so.”

She squeezed.

Red could feel the air leave her lungs. Her head started to spin. Her eyes grew heavy.

“Sleep, little one. When you wake, you will discover the true meaning of death. You will struggle in its painful grip, and learn to love it.”

Red’s sight faded. She felt like she was floating in a sea of black. She tried to claw through it, but found nothing to hold on to. Vast emptiness surrounded her. She was completely alone. She called out. Her voice sounded flat and lifeless. There was no echo.

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