Red Riding Hood

Chapter Sixteen

The next week went by with speed that is common at this time of year. Each night William would come to sleep beside me, neither of us able to settle being apart. All day, all I wanted was to be with him more and more. To kill time and to avoid Mum, I ended up picking up a few hours a day in the bookshop with Andrea to help with the Christmas rush. It was on the Friday as we finished, something was off with her. Earlier in the day Marcus and Finn had come into the shop, and upon their arrival she took her lunch break and disappeared for over an hour. As she rushed out Marcus had looked at her curiously and Finn had paid no attention at all. It was me they had come to see and I was surprised at how friendly even Marcus was being now. I was positive Finn still hadn't told him anything. Maybe we really did just get off on the wrong foot? His reasons were kind of valid so I couldn't blame him really.

Heading towards my car I was glad I picked her up this morning. It was interrogation time. Once inside and the car started, I pulled onto the main road and locked the doors. She looked at me cautiously but soon kept her eyes straight ahead only turning up the radio slightly as if that kill the awkwardness that growing between us. Before it got any worse, I spoke up.

"Ok, spill" I demanded. Apparently she was deaf now and she didn't even flinch at my words, nodding her head slightly to whatever song was on in French.

 "We can do this the easy way, which is you telling me on the way home what is going on or the hard way and I might just drop by my friend Marcus's place" She spun around glaring, opening and then closing her mouth. I knew that would get a reaction out of her, now to find out why. I looked at her waiting, turning the stereo completely off so silence filled the car. Finally she sighed.

 "I can't tell you," she mumbled, looking down at her hands that she folded into her lap. As she dropped her head her red hair covered her face but I could feel her fear. I thought back to when I asked if she and Derrick believed in werewolves and her reaction to his laughing. Was she one of them too? It made sense if she was scared of Marcus; he was intimidating to be around.

"Are you a werewolf?" I put it out there and made a left turn instead of right, making the drive to her place longer. She looked at me instantly, confused.

"No!" she snapped, well I guess I was wrong about that, before I could respond she spoke again, her sadder tone telling me all I needed.

 "But..... I was meant to be a mate of one" it was hardly a whisper and looking over to her, tears ran down her cheeks. I pulled over, not trusting myself to drive at her revelation.

"What happened?" I asked gently, my curiosity brimming, as I felt a little guilty for snooping in such an obvious manner. Had he died? Her reaction to Marcus had me wondering, was it him? She was silent for a few minutes, finally answering me.

"He came a couple of years ago when I was seventeen for one of those balls. He stopped in town with Marcus and when we saw each other, I can't explain it. It was like he was a flame and I was the moth and I couldn't stay away. It was like I just knew he was for me, like when time stops and your eyes meet and you just know he is the one. The feeling I thought was mutual. It was absurd really but I loved him" It all sounded like what I had felt with William yet she didn't mention the tingles. In the movies they did, they talked of sparks and magical moments and all that lovey stuff but did I love him? I had learnt to ignore the feelings my wolf was feeding me, our nights together had given us time to talk about everything and I felt I knew him so much deeper than I could imagine. The beginning of something was there but I felt scared to call it love.

"We were together for two weeks, inseparable and then he said I was too young to be in his world, too innocent and human. He told me what he was but I didn't care. Yet he said he didn't want me and left. I've never seen him since" She started to cry more freely then, the pain still fresh. She had Derrick now but it would never be what she could have had. From all I had learnt about the 'mate' thing, to reject one would be horrible. How did hers do it?