Red: Into the Dark (13 page)

Red

I can’t see.

Nash and Jeffrey are about to fight and I can’t see.

I pull away from the man who was holding me and stick out my tongue. Very mature, I know, but I’m pissed. Who does he think he is that he can hold me against my will?

Now the battle is about to begin and I’m scared. I’m trying so hard to hold it together for Nash, but I can’t help but be a little bit worried.

This is my man we’re talking about.

Yeah, he’s mine.

As much as he likes to think he claimed me as his own, the truth was that he’ll always be the one who saved me after my grandma died. He’ll always be Wolfy, the one who stayed with me when things got tough. He’ll always be the one who took care of me, fed me, clothed me.

He’ll always me my protector.

And now he’s about to battle my brother and I sure as hell know
he
doesn’t fight fair. What’s he going to do? I have a feeling he’ll try to have one of his buddies grab me and use me as a distraction so he can kill Nash, but I don’t plan to give him a chance.

I move slowly, pushing through the crowd. I need to see what’s happening. The entire pack is here for this event. They may have come out for Jeffrey’s announcement about Nightfall, but they stayed for this fight. They won’t be slaughtering their fellow wolves tonight, but that doesn’t mean these guys don’t want to see a little bloodshed.

I just have to wonder: who is it they’re rooting for? Nash or Jeffrey?

I’m almost to the edge of the crowd when I feel a hand grip my arm and I turn, ready to break free, but my eyes connect with a pair of gentle ones.

“Aunt Germaine,” I say. I just know it’s her. This is the woman who raised Nash, who took care of him for all those years. This is his mother figure, the woman who loved him before I showed up.

The female wolf shifter looks like she’s in her mid-50s. Her short, grey hair is curly and wild, just like her eyes. Wolf eyes.

“Yes, child,” she says, and yanks me through the crowd. She pulls me to the front row and lets me stand there. Somehow, I know that no one is going to be able to touch me with her by my side.

“Why did you help me?” I ask.

“He needs to see what he’s fighting for.” She stands with her arm around my waist, grounding me. It’s good because without it, I feel like I might float away. Suddenly, the whole world seems a bit too big and a bit too scary. “Take a deep breath,” Aunt Germaine urges. “You’re going to faint if you don’t.”

I do as she says, taking big deep breaths as I look toward the center circle. Nash and Jeffrey are both naked now and Nash looks over at me one last time before he shifts. He smiles and winks and my whole heart just swells.

“He’s got it bad,” Aunt Germaine mutters, but she still holds onto me.

The men both shift and begin circling each other.

“How much do you know about wolves?” Aunt Germaine asks warily.

“Not as much as I should, considering.”

“It’s custom to fight as wolves. Live as wolves, die as wolves,” she says carefully. “You do know that when someone challenges the Alpha, the fight ends in death, yeah?”

“I know.”

I wish I didn’t. I wish there were many things about wolf life that I didn’t know. This is just one of them. While I grew up in the human world alongside my brother, he became absorbed with the world of shifters when he found out who he really was.

Still, as I look around the pack, I can’t help but be a little shocked.

There are so many of them.

I always knew Jeffrey was among his own kind, but I didn’t realize just how many of “his kind” there actually were. My own ignorance embarrasses me, but I can’t dwell on that now. Right now, the only thing I need to do is make it through this fight.

Right now, I need to see Nash conquer my brother once and for all.

“He’s got this,” I say to Germaine, squeezing her hand. “He’s got this.”

She nods, and we turn to watch the two males circling each other. Nash’s fur is a beautiful, luscious blue-grey. Jeffrey’s is a mange of black, matted fur. How is it possible that they’re so different? Two wolves from the same pack, yet they’re opposites.

Nash grows as Jeffrey eyes him, walking around slowly. All eyes are on the duo. I wonder how many of these wolves have seen a battle like this before. How many of them have seen a fight that’s so raw and dirty?

Jeffrey strikes first, leaping at Nash, and it’s all a blur from there. The crowd goes wild, and I notice an even mix of cheers for both wolves. Dammit. Even if Nash wins – and he has to win – he’s going to have a tough time getting the pack under control.

They roll around, scratching and biting at each other. At one point, Jeffrey has Nash pinned and I think it’s all over, but Nash manages to flip them so he’s on top. He pulls his paw back and is about to scratch Jeffrey’s face with his claws, but Jeffrey suddenly shifts, catching Nash off guard.

“What the hell?” I say, and step forward, but Germaine holds me firmly in place.

“Patience,” she whispers. “This is normal.”

“But he’s cheating,” I say.

“It’s okay,” Germaine insists. “Nash has this under control.” She turns to me then, her eyes bright and shining, and she says, “He was born for this, love.”

I know she’s right. Nash has Alpha’s blood in him. Still, hearing his shrieks and cries as he battles my brother do nothing to help the waves of nausea rolling through my body. They’re both bleeding and crying out with every slash and hit. It’s all I can do to stop myself from running between them and trying to get them to just stop.

I take deep breaths as I watch. Nash is an incredible fighter. Even in wolf form, I can tell that he’s built for this. He’s lean and long and his eyes never leave Jeffrey.

Not once.

They’re both getting tired and moving a bit slowly. Their bodies are covered in so much blood I can’t tell which one is in worse shape. My heart hurts for Nash as I watch him fight.

He takes blow after blow after blow, and then, just when he’s on the ground, just when Jeffrey is about to saunter over and get him, he leaps up unexpectedly and goes for the throat.

Jeffrey lets out an unholy scream as Nash tears into him.

He went for the kill.

I wonder how long the fight lasted. It felt like hours. The entire crowd is silent as Nash stares at Jeffrey’s broken, bleeding body.

He shifts back to human and that’s when I know it’s for real.

He’s dead.

And I’m finally safe.

Nash turns and his eyes search the crowd for a moment until he locks onto mine. Germaine releases me as I go to him. I step into the center circle, ignoring the blood that covers the entire area. Nash looks weak, tired, and pained. He shifts back as I reach him and he practically falls into my arms.

“You’re hurt,” I murmur, and he just shakes his head.

“It’s nothing,” he insists.

“Can we get some help? Some help for your new Alpha? Anybody? Come on, people.” I call out, doing my best impression of Grandma. What would she do in this situation? She’d kick some ass. That’s what she’d do. My words are enough to get a few people running and soon there’s a doctor of some sort looking at Nash and stitching him up and another person is washing his body and someone else is checking for broken bones.

And I’m holding him.

He did it.

He’s the Alpha now and he’s mine.

Nash

Everything hurts as Ryder helps me stand.

He pulls me in for a hug and murmurs in my ear, “That was too close.”

I nod, knowing he’s right. For a moment, we all thought I was lost. For a moment, Jeffrey got too close. Now I stand and look out over the crowd. My pack stands here, waiting for me to make a speech. They’re staring at their new Alpha. Some are hopeful, some are pained. Some look like they’re hurting. Some probably want me to leave.

A few look like they’ve been waiting for this day.

We all have.

A few guys begin to move Jeffrey’s corpse and I know they’ll handle burial. He was evil, but they don’t need to deal with that right now. Most of them know. What the pack needs now is a new chance. What they need is hope. What they need is the understanding that I’m going to get them through whatever we have to face.

“The Silent Canines has been my family for as long as I can remember,” I say, standing up straight. There’s still a bit of blood oozing out of my arm and I’ve been stitched up the middle, but I can stand. Sort of. I just never thought I’d be giving this speech naked.

Like magic, Aunt Germaine appears and wraps a blanket around me. I kiss her cheek softly.

“Thank you, Auntie,” I murmur. She’s always looked after me. Now it’s time for me to look after her. She steps back to the crowd, next to Red, and I continue speaking, knowing all eyes are on me.

Perhaps for the first time, I don’t feel nervous at all.

This is exactly where I’m supposed to be: leading my pack.

“Things have been hard for a long time, and I’ll be the first to say I haven’t always been perfect. Most of you remember many of my unfortunate mistakes growing up.” A giggle spreads throughout the crowd, and I know I’ve got their attention.

“But things are different now and I’m not a little pup anymore. I can’t blame my mistakes on youthful ignorance or simply as part of growing up. I need to own them, so hear this now: I should have challenged Jeffrey a long time ago.

“When Elise died,” a hush falls. They all loved her just as much as I did. “I should have stepped up. I should have challenged the Alpha. I should have stood up for what was right, but I didn’t. Why not? I was scared. I was scared and I was sad and I was hurting, but that time has passed. The time for mourning is over.

“It’s a new day, Silent Canines. The threat of Jeffrey leading us to war against Nightfall, one of our longest friends, is over. The threat of being killed for disagreeing is over. The threat of pain is gone. Things will be different now. I am the Alpha. I am your leader. I will not always be perfect, but I will guide you, help you, and protect you. Hear me now.”

I throw the blanket off and shift into my wolf form. I let out a long, high-pitched howl. Around me, other members of the pack are stripping, shifting, and howling. Even the cubs shift. Soon, only Red is standing, watching us with curiosity, and if I’m not mistaken, she’s looking at me with a whole lot of pride.

Oh yeah, that’s my girl.

The howls mean the pack has accepted me as their new Alpha. I told them I wouldn’t be perfect, and I meant it, but I do know that things are never going to be as bad as they were with Jeffrey as their leader.

The howls continue for a few minutes, then we all shift back slowly.

“Tomorrow at dawn,” I tell them. “We will run.” When a new Alpha takes control of a pack, he needs to do a few things to establish his presence. This looks different in every pack, of course. In mine, it’s going to mean early morning runs a few days each week to help us bond. Maybe we’ll hunt or swim, but we’ll at least go out together, explore, get some air. We’ll bond. We’ll grow closer.

A few shifters approach and hug me or slap me on the shoulder. A few older wolves I’ve known since I was a boy nod appreciatively. One older woman who must be nearly 80 gives me a tight squeeze.

“Proud of you, boy,” she says, holding up her cane at me. “Always knew ya had it in ya.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Beaver,” I say, taking her hand. “I won’t let you down.”

She grins and moves on, and I hope I can keep my promise. With Red by my side, with her support, I know I can accomplish anything.

I can reach all of my dreams.

Slowly, the crowd thins and almost everyone returns to their quarters. Most of the pack lives in the tunnel of underground caves we’ve created over the last few decades, but a few with families have their own homes outside of the forest. Jeffrey always hated it and even kicked a few wolves out of the pack for it, but I’ll send word as soon as possible that they’re welcome back.

Right now, though, I just want my girl. I just want to celebrate with her. Soon everyone is gone but Aunt Germaine and Red.

“I’m glad you’re home, son,” my aunt says, wrapping her arms around me. I fight a groan as she squeezes me close. I may have won the battle, but Jeffrey got more than a few good hits in. I kiss Aunt Germaine on the forehead before she looks to Red and back at me. “She’s a keeper,” my aunt says, and then she disappears into the cave.

Now it’s just Red and me.

Now we’re alone.

Finally, I wrap my arms around her, and to my surprise, she bursts into tears.

“What’s wrong, baby?” I murmur, holding her tighter.

“You could have died,” she whispers. “You could have died and I would have been all alone with him.” I can tell Red is worn out and getting tired. To be honest, I don’t blame her. It’s been a hell of a night. Forget that: it’s been a hell of a month.

“I didn’t die, baby. I didn’t die.” I hold her then. The full moon shines bright, but not as bright as my love for this girl.

That’s when I realize that I’ve never asked her and I need to. I need to make this real. I have the pack and we’ve got a long road ahead of us, but I need Red by my side.

“Scarlett,” I whisper, and suddenly my throat feels dry. Suddenly, I feel like I’m going to die if I don’t get these words out soon. I’ve come so close to death, fought so hard, and I’m tired. Scarlett, though, she gives me everything I need to keep going.

She’s my stars and my light.

She’s my path.

“Marry me,” I murmur, so quietly that I’m not sure she heard me. Her body tenses, though, and I realize that she definitely, absolutely heard me.

“I need you, Scarlett. You’re everything to me. I waited so long to face my demons. I was in that cabin for so long just grieving, just trying to find a way to keep on living, but I couldn’t find my way until you came into my life.”

“Nash…”

“Hear me out,” I whisper.

“No,” she says, and my heart sinks. I release her and just stand there awkwardly.

So this is it.

I am a king without a queen.

I am a lord without a lady.

I am a duke without a duchess.

I am a man with half a heart.

As much as I want the Silent Canines, I don’t know if I can do it without her. I don’t know if I have the strength on my own to be who they need me to be.

Scarlett gives me the faith that I can conquer everything.

She gives me the peace I need to stay centered.

And then, just when I’m drowning in despair, just when I think things can’t get any worse, she starts to talk. I try to quickly prepare myself for the heartache I’m about to feel, but she surprises me.

“No,” she repeats. “Don’t keep going. You’re tired, and hurt, and you’ve had a long day,” I look up at her. What’s she saying? “I don’t want you to hurt yourself or overexert yourself anymore. I’m going to need you around for a long time and I’m going to need you to be at your best.”

“You mean-”

“Of course, I’ll marry you, baby,” she whispers.

Suddenly, my whole world is whole.

Scarlett kisses me and my eyes light up and go bright.

This was just what I needed. Everything she said, everything she’s talking about. We’re in this together and I don’t know why I doubted her because she is so freaking mine.

I fist her hair and pull her closer. I can’t get enough of this girl. I need her so much that it hurts. Knowing she wants the same thing I do, knowing she’s here to stay, it just lights up my world.

“It’s not going to be easy,” I warn her quietly. There’s a chance she might not want all the drama that comes with running a wolf pack. Jeffrey is gone, but he was an evil overlord for a long time. There are a lot of changes that need to be made and a lot of shifters won’t be happy about everything I plan to do.

Overhauls are never easy.

New management often sucks.

“I know,” she says. “I don’t expect it to be easy. I just expect us to be together through the hard times.”

“With you by my side? I know we’ll be able to get through anything.”

She kisses me again, softly this time, gently, and I pick her up, bride-style.

“Nash,” she laughs. “Put me down! You’re going to get hurt.” I start to carry her toward the entrance to the cave, but a pair of glowing yellow eyes catch my attention.

“Baby,” I set her down softly. “Do me a favor. Go on ahead in the cave. Wait for me in the lobby. There’s going to be a lot going on there. Have someone make you a drink, okay?”

“Nash?” She sounds worried. “Is everything all right?”

“It’s okay. I just have to take care of something before we go to my quarters.”

“Okay,” she whispers, and takes a few timid, but brave steps toward the cave. Once she’s inside, I turn back to the eyes and raise an eyebrow.

A man emerges from the darkness. He’s taller than me and more muscular. His skin is darker than mine, but just because we’re different, doesn’t mean we’re strangers.

No, this is a man I know well.

“You did a good job tonight,” he says.

“Thanks, brother.” I embrace Jordan in a not-very-masculine-hug and hold him tight for a moment before releasing him. “It’s been a long time.”

“Too long,” he agrees. He stands there for a moment and looks up at the moon. I join him. The idea that werewolves have to howl during a full moon is a myth, but damn, it sure feels good to let that line shine on me.

I know Jordan feels the same way. There were many times when we ran together as kids in the light of the full moon, making promises we’d never be able to keep.

Well, looks like now, I’ll be able to keep at least some of those promises.

“I can’t thank you enough for stopping him before he gathered the troops to come to Nightfall,” Jordan says, and I turn back to him.

“You knew,” I say.

He nods slowly.

“How?”

“I have my ways,” he says, which is about as clear as him saying, “You have a mole.” It doesn’t matter, though. There is no need for a mole anymore. I plan to have open communication with Jordan from here on out. The leader of the Nightfall pack doesn’t have anything to fear from me. We were close as kids and now we’ll lead our packs side-by-side.

“I don’t expect a merger,” I say, clearing the air, but he just nods. Jordan is a man of few words, but I respect him.

“That’s some girl you got,” he says. “You’re a lucky bastard, Nash. Lucky indeed.” I can’t argue with Jordan on that. He’s right. Red is pretty damn amazing.

I want to tell Jordan that he’ll find someone someday, but that’s a touchy subject, so I let it go. I look back up at the moon, and when I turn back, Jordan is gone. He’s quiet, that one, but he has to be. I can learn a lot about being Alpha from Jordan. He’s hard on his pack, but they’re good wolves, and I know my crew can be just as good someday.

For now, though, I have some kissing to do, so I go inside the cave.

My cave.